# Do Handel's Dramatic Sacred Oratorios work as staged operas?



## Second Trombone (Jan 23, 2020)

I have often wondered if Handel's dramatic sacred oratorios would work as staged operas—complete with costumes, sets, etc. Oratorios such as "Jeptha," "Saul," "Samson," "Soloman" and many others have plots, well-defined characters, and effective dramatic narratives grounded in sturdy Old Testament story-lines. I know that Handel's oratorios _are_ now sometimes produced as operas, but I've never had an opportunity to see one. I live in a semi-rural setting where we have a good regional opera company that frequently and effectively produces Handel's Italian operas, but they've never done a dramatic oratorio as an opera. Handel's dramatic oratorios would seem to have some potential advantages relative to his Italian operas. For one thing, they're in English, an advantage for a native English speaker. Also, the characters often seem to behave in a more probable way than characters in Handel's operas, where heightened emotion seems to rule over dramatic plausibility. There is a wider range of voice types in the oratorios. The predominance of high voices is a small problem for me in the Italian operas. And, then there is the matter of choruses. Handel was one of the greatest-ever choral composers, yet choruses rarely appear in the operas. So why not give the dramatic oratorios as operas? Add sets and costumes and _voila!_ An opera is born, it would seem to me. Perhaps, though, the dramatic oratorios might prove a bit too static?
So, I'd very much appreciate comments on this theme. And are there any filmed versions of a dramatic oratorio as an opera that I ought to see?


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

There have been such stagings for some time and there are also DVDs of them. There is a comparably famous Theodora from Glyndebourne staged by Sellars (so beware modern setting, the persecuted Christians are in some kind of Guantanamo camp). There is also at least one Semele (Bartoli?) on DVD. I am not following DVDs but I am sure there must also be stagings of Hercules and Saul.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I've seen fully staged productions of *Hercules *and *Semele *and both were brilliant. *Hercules *was a modern staging by Luc Bondy and his treatment of the chorus was fantastic. The whole performance was very dramatic, with Joyce DiDonato giving us a study of madness that was absolutely riveting.

*Semele *was a traditional John Copley production in eighteenth century dress, with Valerie Masterson looking, and souding absolutey ravishing. That also worked very well.

I have an audio only recording of the Glyndebourne/Peter Sellars *Theodora* and it a superb performance. I've seen the DVD and I think the production was brilliant. A friend of mine, a huge Handel lover, saw it and said it was one of the most memorable things she'd ever seen in the opera house.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I heard that some company staged *The Messiah*, though I can’t imagine why of how.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

People have made ballets out of Bach's St John Passion, they will do anything... 
I recently read Jane Glover's Handel book. As I understand it, the oratorios in London were usually not staged at all. But there might have been "semi-staged" performances of the Cannons version of Esther. One should recall that one reason for oratorios in the first place was that in many countries there was no opera during Lent season (so it was a way to have entertainment anyway, like indulging in fish dishes ) 

Obviously, Messiah or Alexander's Feast would not be plausible on stage. But some others, especially the non-biblical Semele and Hercules, but also Theodora, Saul should work as well as most baroque operas on stages. Some others, like Jephtha, Judas Maccabaeus etc. are borderline cases.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Many people comment on Norma by Bellini, that it is static, oratorial and not worth staging. I obviously prefer it staged. If chorus are dressed like Gauls and just stand in one place, I am totally fine with that. So, why not Haendel as well ?


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

I have a staged version of Saul on DVD. Theodora has been staged as has Semele which is an opera anyway


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

I've seen a broadcast of Il trionfo di Tempo e del Disinganno. Though characters are allegories, their vivid argue asks to be staged. But I would prefer them to make a concert performance, even without powdered wigs and court plasters. The beauty in that show was a hangout-loving girl whose boyfriend died from overdose. The disappointment and the time were a bourgeois couple, probably her parents (why?!). And the pleasure was her friend who buffons at the "family" dinner. 
But I would like to see a beautiful staging of, say, Il Allegro, il Penseroso e il Moderato.


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## Dick Johnson (Apr 14, 2020)

I really enjoy some Handel "oratorios" with opera staging. Agree with others that the Glyndbourne production of Theodora makes a good case for this - and Semele is basically an (excellent) opera disguised as an oratorio. I have never seen Saul, Jeptha, or Belshazzar staged as an opera but I believe those could possibly work as well. On the other hand, other great oratorios like Solomon or Messiah would seem impossible to turn into an convincing opera production.


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## Second Trombone (Jan 23, 2020)

Thanks for all of these comments, which certainly support the idea that the canon of opera in English can be expanded to include multiple works by Handel. How I wish I lived in range of Glyndebourne!


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Second Trombone said:


> Handel was one of the greatest-ever choral composers


It's a shame he didn't use his talents to the fullest, like this:


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

Like Tsaraslondon pointed out, Semele and Hercules have been staged, and I think they work quite well in theater. I think Athalia may work as well.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Yabetz said:


> Best comment on the YT video I linked: "I don't get it. They are being executed by SAC and F-14 Tomcat pilots."


I thought they were astronauts,




and they reminded me of


KenOC said:


> Haydn's _Il mondo della luna_ (The World on the Moon) is often performed. The launch scene is a favorite.


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## Francasacchi (7 mo ago)

"I have often wondered if Handel's dramatic sacred oratorios would work as staged operas—complete with costumes, sets, etc. Oratorios such as "Jeptha," "Saul," "Samson," "Soloman" and many others have plots, well-defined characters, and effective dramatic narratives grounded in sturdy Old Testament story-lines. I know that Handel's oratorios _are_ now sometimes produced as operas, but I've never had an opportunity to see one. I live in a semi-rural setting where we have a good regional opera company that frequently and effectively produces Handel's Italian operas, but they've never done a dramatic oratorio as an opera. Handel's dramatic oratorios would seem to have some potential advantages relative to his Italian operas. For one thing, they're in English, an advantage for a native English speaker. Also, the characters often seem to behave in a more probable way than characters in Handel's operas, where heightened emotion seems to rule over dramatic plausibility. There is a wider range of voice types in the oratorios." Judas Maccabaeus would lend itself to spectacular staging.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Tsaraslondon said:


>


Now I know where this is from-


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Kreisler jr said:


> People have made ballets out of Bach's St John Passion


videos of the full performance-


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