Composer: Georg Friedrich Händel
Performer: Arleen Augér, Julia Gooding, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Nicolas Robertson, Nigel Short, Catherine Robbin, James Bowman, Richard Wistreich, David Wilson-Johnson
Orchestra: The English Concert
Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Number of Discs: 3
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Archiv
Catalogue: 4770372
Release: 1991
Size: 786 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Belshazzar, HWV 61
CD 01
01. Overture
Act 1
02. “Vain, fluctuating state of human empire”
03. “Thou, God most high, and Thou alone”
04. “The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh”
05. “Lament not thus, oh Queen, in vain!”
06. “Behold, by Persia’s hero made”
07. “Well may they laugh” / “Oh memory! Still bitter to my soul!”
08. “Opprest with never-ceasing grief”
09. “Dry those unavailing tears”
10. “Be comforted: safe though the tyrant seem” / “Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates”
11. “Now, tell me, Gobrias”
12. “Behold the monstrous human beast”
13. “Can you then think it strange”
14. “Great God! who, yet but darkly known”
15. “My friends, be confident”
16. “All empires upon God depend”
17. “Oh sacred oracles of Truth!”
18. “Rejoice, my countrymen” / “Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus”
19. “Sing, oh ye heav’ns!”
CD 02
Act 1
01. “Let festal joy triumphant reign!”
02. “For you, my friends”
03. “The leafy honours of the field”
04. “It is the custom, I may say, the law”
05. “Recall, oh king! thy rash command”
06. “They tell you true”
07. “Oh dearer than my life, forebear!”
08. “By slow degrees the wrath of God”
Act 2
09. “See, from his post Euphrates flies!”
10. “You see, my friends, a path”
11. “Amaz’d to find the foe so near”
12. “To arms, to arms! no more delay!”
13. “Ye tutelar gods of our empire”
14. “Let the deep bowl thy praise confess”
15. “Where is the God of Judah’s boasted pow’r?”
16. “Call all my Wise Men”
CD 03
Act 2
01. A Sinfony
02. “Ye sages! welcome always to your king” / “Alas! too hard a task the king imposes”
03. “Oh misery! – oh terror! – hopeless grief!”
04. “Oh king, live for ever!”
05. “No! to thyself thy trifles be”
06. “Yet, to obey his dread command”
07. “Oh sentence too severe!” / “Regard, oh son, my flowing tears”
08. “Oh God of Truth! oh faithful guide!”
09. “You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace”
10. “Oh glorious prince!”
Act 3
11. “Alternate hopes and fears”
12. “Fain would I hope”
13. “Can the black Aethiop change his skin?”
14. “My hopes revive”
15. “Bel boweth down!”
