Belshazzar

Belshazzar: Overture

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Overture, Maestoso - Allegro

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 1. 1. Accompagnato ed Arioso (Nitocris) "Vain fluctuating state of human empire!"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 1, Accompagnato ed Arioso "Vain, fluctuating state of human empire!" (Nitocris)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 1. 2a. Aria (Nitocris) "Thou, God most high, and Thou alone"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 1, Air "Thou, God most high, and Thou alone" (Nitocris)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 1. 2b. Recitative (Nitocris) "The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh" - Scene 2. 3a. Recitative (Nitocris, Daniel) "O much belov'd"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 1, Recitativo "The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh" (Nitocris, Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 2. 3b. Air (Daniel) "Lament not thus, O Queen, in vain!"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 1, Air "Lament not thus, oh Queen, in vain!" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 4. Chorus of Babylonians "Behold by Persia's hero made"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Chorus "Behold, by Persia's hero made" (Babylonians)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 5a. Recitative (Gobrias) "Well may they laugh, from meagre famine safe" - 5b. Accompagnato (Gobrias) "Oh memory"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Recitativo "Well may they laugh" (Gobrias, Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 6. Aria (Gobrias) "Opprest with never ceasing grief"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Opprest with never-ceasing grief" (Gobrias)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 7. Aria (Cyrus) "Dry those unavailing tears"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Dry thoes unavailing tears" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 8a. Recitative (Cyrus) "Be comforted: safe tho' the tyrant seem" - 8b. Accompagnato (Cyrus) "Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates" - 8bis. Recitative (Cyrus, Gobrias) "Now tell me Gobrias"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Accompagnato "Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 9. Aria (Gobrias) "Behold the monstrous human beast" - 10a. Recitative (Cyrus) "Can you then think it strange, if drown'd in wine"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Behold the monstrous human beast" (Gobrias)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 10b. Aria (Cyrus) "Great God! who yet but darkly known" - 11a. Recitative (Cyrus) "My friends, be confident, and boldly enter"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Great God! who, yet but darkly known" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 3. 11b. Chorus "All empires upon God depend"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 2, Chorus "All empires upon God depend"

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 4. 12. Arioso (Daniel) "O sacred oracles of truth!"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 3, "O sacred oracles of truth" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 4. 13a. Accompagnato (Daniel) "Rejoice, my countrymen: the time draws near" - 13b. Recitative (Daniel) "For long ago" - 14. Accompagnato (Daniel) "Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his anointed"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 3, Recitativo "For long ago, whole ages ere this Cyrus" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 16a. Aria (Belshazzar) "Let festal joy triumphant reign" - 16b. Recitative (Belshazzar, Nitocris) "For you, my friends, the nobles of my court"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Air "Let festal joy triumphant reign!" (Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 17. Aria (Nitocris) "The leafy honours of the field"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Air "The leafy honours of the field" (Nitocris)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 18a. Recitative (Belshazzar, Nitocris) "It is the custom; I may say, the law"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Recitativo "It is the custom, I may say, the law" (Belshazzar, Nitocris)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 19a. Recitative (Nitocris, Belshazzar) "They tell you true; nor can you be to learn"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Recitativo "They tell you true" (Nitocris, Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 19b. Duet (Nitocris, Belshazzar) "O dearer than my life, forbear"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Duet "Oh dearer than my life, forbear!" (Nitocris, Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act I. Scene 5. 20. Chorus of Jews "By slow degrees the wrath of God to its meridian height ascends"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 1, Scene 4, Chorus "By slow degrees the wrath of God" (Jews)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 1. 21. Chorus "See, from his post Euphrates flies!" - 22. Semichorus "Why faithless river dost thou leave" - 23. Semichorus "Euphrates hath his task fulfil'd" - 24. Chorus "Of things on earth, proud man must own"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 1, Chorus "See, from his post Euphrates flies!"

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 1. 25a. Recitative (Cyrus) "You, see my friends, a path into the city" - 25b. Aria (Cyrus) "Amaz'd to find the foe so near" - 26. Chorus of Persians "To arms, to arms, no more delay"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 1, Chorus "To arms, to arms! no more delay!" (Persians)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 27. Chorus "Ye tutelar gods of our empire, look down"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Chorus "Ye tutelar gods of our empire"

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 28. Aria (Belshazzar) "Let the deep bowl thy praise confess"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Air "Let the deep bowl thy praise confess" (Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 29a. Accompagnato and Chorus (Belshazzar) "Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r?"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Accompagnato "Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r?" (Belshazzar, Chorus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 29b. Recitative (Belshazzar) "Call all our Wiseman, sorcerers, Chaldeans" - 30. Symphonie

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Call all my Wise Men" (Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 31a. Recitative (Belshazzar) "Ye sages, welcome always to your king" - 31b. Trio (Wisemen) "Alas! too hard a task the king imposes" - 32a. Chorus "O misery! O terror! hopeless grief!"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Ye sages! welcome always to your king" (Belshazzar)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 32b. Recitative (Nitocris, Belshazzar) "O king, live for ever!" - 32c. Recitative (Belshazzar) "Art thou that Daniel, of the Jewish captives?" - 33. Aria (Daniel) "No: to thyself thy trifles be"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Air "No! to thyself thy trifles be" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 34. Accompagnato (Daniel) "Yet to obey his dread command" - 35. Accompagnato (Daniel) "Thou, O King, hast lifted up thyself" - 36. Recitative (Nitocris) "O sentence too severe! and yet too sure!"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Accompagnato "Yet, to obey his dread command" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 2. 37. Aria (Nitocris) "Regard, O son, my flowing tears"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 2, Air "Regard, oh son, my flowing tears" (Nitocris)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 3. 38a. Aria (Cyrus) "O God of truth! O faithful guide!" - 38b. Recitative (Cyrus) "You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 3, Recitativo "You, Gobrias, lead directry to the palace" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act II. Scene 3. 39. Chorus "O glorious prince! thrice happy they"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 2, Scene 3, Chorus "Oh glorious prince!"

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 1. 40a. Aria (Nitocris) "Alternate hopes and fears distract my mind" - 40b. Recitative (Nitocris, Daniel) "Fain would I hope. Is there not room to hope?"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 1, Recitativo "Fain would I hope" (Nitocris, Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 1. 41a. Aria (Daniel) "Can the black Æthiop change his skin?" - 41b. Recitative (Nitocris, Arioch, Messenger) "My hopes revive, here Arioch comes: by this"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 1, Air "Can the black Aethiop change his skin?" (Daniel)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 1. 42. Chorus of Jews "Bel boweth down! Nebo stoopeth"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 1, Chorus "Bel boweth down" (Jews)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 2. 43. Aria (Belshazzar) "I thank thee, Sesach, thy sweet pow'r" - 44. A martial Symphony

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 2, A Martial Symphony

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 45a. Aria (Gobrias) "To pow'r immortal my first thanks are due" - 45b. Recitative (Cyrus) "Be it thy care, good Gobrias, to find out"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Recitativo "Be it thy care, good Gobrias" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 46. Aria (Cyrus) "Destructive war thy limits know"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Air "Destructive War, thy limits know" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 47a. Duett (Nitocris, Cyrus) "Great victor, at your feet I bow" - 47b. Recitative (Cyrus, Daniel) "Say, venerable prophet, is there ought"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Duet "Great victor, at your feet I bow" (Nitocris, Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 48. Soli and Chorus (Nitocris, Gobrias, Daniel) "Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Soli & Chorus "Tell it out among the heathen"

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 49. Accompagnato (Cyrus) "Yes, I will build thy city, God of Israel"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Accompagnato "Yes, I will build thy city" (Cyrus)

William Christie

Belshazzar: Act III. Scene 3. 50. Anthem (Daniel, Nitocris, Chorus) "I will magnify thee, O God my king"

George Frideric Handel - Belshazzar, HWV 61: Act 3, Scene 3, Soli & Chorus "I will magnify thee" (Daniel, Nitocris, Chorus)

William Christie