Belshazzar

by George Frideric Handel; Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Arleen Augér, Catherine Robbin, James Bowman, David Wilson‐Johnson, The English Concert & The English Concert Choir, Trevor Pinnock

Tracklist

CD 1

  1. Belshazzar: Overture4:38
  2. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 1, Accompagnato ed Arioso "Vain, fluctuating state of human empire!" (Nitocris)5:05
  3. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 1, Air "Thou, God most high, and Thou alone" (Nitocris)3:58
  4. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 1, Recitativo "The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh" (Nitocris, Daniel)1:14
  5. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 1, Air "Lament not thus, oh Queen, in vain!" (Daniel)4:55
  6. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Chorus "Behold, by Persia's hero made" (Babylonians)2:48
  7. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Recitativo "Well may they laugh" (Gobrias, Cyrus); Accompagnato "Oh memory! Still bitter to my soul" (Gobrias)1:18
  8. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Opprest with never-ceasing grief" (Gobrias)3:33
  9. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Dry thoes unavailing tears" (Cyrus)2:12
  10. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Resitativo "Be comforted: safe though the tyrant seem"; Accompagnato "Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates" (Cyrus)2:35
  11. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Recitativo "Now, tell me, Gobrias" (Cyrus, Gobrias)1:14
  12. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Behold the monstrous human beast" (Gobrias)3:16
  13. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Recitativo "Can you then think it strange" (Cyrus)0:15
  14. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Air "Great God! who, yet but darkly known" (Cyrus)3:49
  15. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Recitativo "My friends, be confident" (Cyrus)0:41
  16. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 2, Chorus "All empires upon God depend"3:15
  17. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 3, Air "Oh sacred oracles of Truth!" (Daniel)5:13
  18. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 3, Accompagnato "Rejoice, my countrymen"; Air "Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus" (Daniel)2:59
  19. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 3, Chorus, "Sing, oh ye heav'ns!"4:10

CD 2

  1. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Air "Let festal joy triumphant reign!" (Belshazzar)5:02
  2. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Recitativo "For you, my friends" (Belshazzar, Nitocris)0:53
  3. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Air "The leafy honours of the field" (Nitocris)7:33
  4. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Recitativo "It is the custom, I may say, the law" (Belshazzar, Nitocris)1:22
  5. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Chorus "Recall, oh king! thy rash command" (Jews)3:53
  6. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Recitativo "They tell you true" (Nitocris, Belshazzar)1:22
  7. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Duet "Oh dearer than my life, forbear!" (Nitocris, Belshazzar)7:15
  8. Belshazzar: Act 1, Scene 4, Chorus "By slow degrees the wrath of God" (Jews)4:24
  9. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 1, Chorus "See, from his post Euphrates flies!"6:26
  10. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 1, Recitativo "You see, my friends, a path" (Cyrus)0:45
  11. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 1, Air "Amaz'd to find the foe so near" (Cyrus)4:23
  12. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 1, Chorus "To arms, to arms! no more delay!" (Persians)0:35
  13. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Chorus "Ye tutelar gods of our empire"2:58
  14. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Air "Let the deep bowl thy praise confess" (Belshazzar)2:38
  15. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Accompagnato "Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r?" (Belshazzar, Chorus)2:41
  16. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Call all my Wise Men" (Belshazzar)0:21

CD 3

  1. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, A Sinfony (Allegro Postillions)1:42
  2. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Ye sages! welcome always to your king" (Belshazzar); Recitativo "Alas! too hard a task the king imposes" (Wise Men)1:05
  3. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Chorus "Oh misery! - oh terror! - hopeless grief!"1:50
  4. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Oh king! live for ever!" (Nitocris, Belshazzar)1:39
  5. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Air "No! to thyself thy trifles be" (Daniel)1:30
  6. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Accompagnato "Yet, to obey his dread command" (Daniel)3:13
  7. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 2, Recitativo "Oh sentence too severe!" (Nitocris); Air "Regard, oh son, my flowing tears" (Nitocris)7:00
  8. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 3, Air "Oh God of Truth! oh faithful guide!" (Cyrus)4:38
  9. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 3, Recitativo "You, Gobrias, lead directry to the palace" (Cyrus)1:01
  10. Belshazzar: Act 2, Scene 3, Chorus "Oh glorious prince!"4:54
  11. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 1, Air "Alternate hopes and fears" (Nitocris)4:27
  12. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 1, Recitativo "Fain would I hope" (Nitocris, Daniel)0:22
  13. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 1, Air "Can the black Aethiop change his skin?" (Daniel)2:26
  14. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 1, Recitativo "My hopes revive" (Nitocris, Arioch, Messenger)1:51
  15. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 1, Chorus "Bel boweth down" (Jews)1:31
  16. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 2, Air "I thank thee, Sesach" (Belshazzar)1:37
  17. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 2, A Martial Symphony0:39
  18. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Air "To pow'r immortal my first thanks" (Gobrias)2:44
  19. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Recitativo "Be it thy care, good Gobrias" (Cyrus); Air "Destructive War, thy limits know" (Cyrus)2:55
  20. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Duet "Great victor, at your feet I bow" (Nitocris, Cyrus)3:58
  21. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Recitativo "Say, venerable prophet" (Cyrus, Daniel)0:55
  22. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Soli & Chorus "Tell it out among the heathen"1:37
  23. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Accompagnato "Yes, I will build thy city" (Cyrus)2:22
  24. Belshazzar: Act 3, Scene 3, Soli & Chorus "I will magnify thee" (Daniel, Nitocris, Chorus)5:26