- Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus is a three-act oratorio sung in English and written in 1746. The libretto, written by Thomas Morell, is the 1st book of “Maccabees” from the Apocrypha.
- The oratorio premiered in London in 1747 conducted by the composer.
- Read a synopsis of the oratorio’s plot here.
- Historical context – the oratorio’s dedicatee, the Duke of Cumberland, the Duke of Cumberland had recently put down the Jacobite Rising of 1745 at the Battle of Culloden.
- Highlights:
- “See, the conquering hero comes!” is a triumphant choral number from the third/ final act.
- “So shall the lute and harp awake” is a florid aria sung by the Israelitish Woman from the third/final act.1
Sources
- “Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63 (Handel, George Frideric),” IMSLP, accessed December 19, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabaeus,_HWV_63_(Handel,_George_Frideric).
Cut IDs
41792 46947 41910 14443