Deborah by George Frideric Handel
Jacobikerk
Utrecht, Netherlands
Thursday 22.05.2025 / 20:00 - 22:30
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Sophie Junker | Deborah
Jakub Józef Orliński | Barak
Sophia Patsi | Sisera
Wolf Matthias Friedrich | Abinoam
Ton Koopman | direction
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir
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Desctription from "klasssiekmuziek.nl":
Unique concert with Amsterdam Baroque conducted by Ton Koopman and featuring the famous countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski. This is the only concert in the Netherlands with this program.
In May 2025, we will go on tour with Handel's second oratorio: Deborah. Following the success of his first full English oratorio Esther, Handel composed Deborah in early 1733. Like his later highly successful oratorio Messiah, composing Deborah took only one month. The piece premiered in March 1733 at the King’s Theatre in London.
Deborah is a full-length religious drama, with an 8-part choir and rich instrumentation. The composer created impressive choral sections and spectacular orchestral effects. An audience member noted about the very first performance: "It was truly grand, almost a hundred musicians on stage, including about 25 singers."
The libretto was written by Samuel Humphries. It tells the story of the prophetess Deborah, who leads her people, the Israelites, to freedom after years of oppression by the Canaanites. The prophetess urges military leader Barak to rise against the oppressors and predicts that Sisera, the general of the Canaanites, will be killed by a woman. Her prediction comes true, and Barak triumphs.
The choir, or rather the choirs, play a special role in Deborah. They not only reflect on the story, as is often customary, but actively participate in the drama, just like the soloists. As in Esther, Handel reused several popular pieces he had previously composed for Deborah. Deborah was a success for Handel, and he had the piece performed for several consecutive seasons.
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Event page:
https://www.klassiekemuziek.nl/e/18908/amsterdam-baroque-ton-koopman-de-heldinnen-van-handel-deborah-utrecht
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Photo by Dieter K on Unsplash
Graphic design by Famsky
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