George Frideric Handel - A Handel Celebration (Ivars Taurins)

Information

Composer: George Frideric Handel

1. Chorus “Your harps and cymbals sound,” from Solomon
2. Tenor Air “Tune your harps,” from Esther
3. Soprano Air “Sweet bird,” from L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
4. Tenor Air/Chorus “Sound an alarm,” from Judas Maccabaeus
5. Soprano Air “In Jehovah’s awful sight,” from Deborah
6. Chorus “Throughout the land Jehovah’s praise,” from Solomon
7. Chorus “Doleful tidings,” from Deborah
8. Tenor Air “Hateful man,” from Alexander Balus
9. Soprano Recitative “Shall Cleopatra ever smile again,” from Alexander Balus
10. Soprano Air “O take me,” from Alexander Balus
11. Tenor Air “To God, who made the radiant sun,” from Alexander Balus
12. Chorus “Sun, moon, and stars,” from Alexander Balus
13. Tenor Air “Golden columns,” from Solomon
14. Soprano Air “Prophetic raptures,” from Joseph & His Brethren
15. Chorus “Hallelujah, Amen,” from Judas Maccabaeus
16. Chorus “Now Love, that everlasting boy,” from Semele
17. Chorus “Jealousy, infernal pest,” from Hercules
18. Tenor Recitative “Now all this scene,” from Semele
19. Tenor Air “Where’er you walk,” from Semele
20. Soprano Air “Myself I shall adore,” from Semele
21. Chorus “Wanton god of amorous fires,” from Hercules
22. Tenor Arioso “Ah, whither is she gone,” from Semele
23. Chorus “Draw the tear from hopeless love,” from Solomon
24. Soprano/Tenor Duet “Who calls my parting soul,” from Esther
25. Chorus “Crown with festal pomp,” from Hercules
26. Soprano/Tenor Duet “As steals the morn,” from L’Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato
27. Chorus “The mighty pow’r/Give glory,” from Athalia

Amanda Forsythe, soprano

Thomas Hobbs, tenor

Tafelmusik Chamber Choir

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra

Ivars Taurins, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Tafelmusik

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Tafelmusik’s 45th-anniversary season concludes with A Handel Celebration, honouring the composer’s extraordinary ability to capture the full range of human emotion. Recognized as a profound musical dramatist and humanist, Handel transformed the beauty and turmoil of his world into expressive works that span joy, sorrow, and everything between. For this finale, guest soloists Amanda Forsythe and Thomas Hobbs join the Tafelmusik Choir and Orchestra under the direction of Ivars Taurins. The program features a selection of his favourite arias, duets, and choruses from oratorios such as Solomon, Hercules, Semele, and Judas Maccabeus, offering a rich, celebratory tapestry of Handel’s artistry.

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra is a Toronto-based Canadian ensemble dedicated to historically informed performance on period instruments spanning the baroque, classical, and romantic eras. Founded in 1979 by Kenneth Solway and Susan Graves, it was artistically led for over three decades by violinist Jeanne Lamon, followed by Elisa Citterio. Since 2022, artistic leadership has been shared by Cristina Zacharias, Dominic Teresi, and Brandon Chui, with Rachel Podger joining as Principal Guest Director in 2024. The orchestra consists of sixteen full-time historical-performance specialists, with additional musicians as needed. The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, directed by Ivars Taurins, was established in 1981 to complement the orchestra.