# Which are your favorite Handel oratorios?



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Which are your favorite Handel oratorios (other than the _Messiah_)? Could you please recommend me performances of them?

If you selected _Other(s)_, please tell me which here in the comments section.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I voted Judas Maccabaeus and others, namely : Athalia (HWV 52)




Why, these are almost unbeatable.


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

_Theodora_ and _Saul_ would be my choices.
(edit) oh yeah, recordings...I'd say the McCreesh/Gabrieli Consort for both.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Semele (well it _was _supposed to be an oratorio - even if it is based on an opera libretto) Hercules,Theodora and Jeptha - I rank them all as number ones.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Personally, I like Israel in Egypt for its word-painting of scripture, then Judas Maccabeus. Saul would follow that, then Solomon (I think it sags in the middle). Of course, for Other, there is the Messiah. 

I have Belshazzar, which I've only sat through once, for some reason. The same for Athaliah; I don't know why, and Jephta. I guess I need to hear them again, from the comments above. I recall Deborah as being nice for what it is, a gathering-up of previous material.


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## sstucky (Apr 4, 2020)

Israel in Egypt, Judas Maccabaeus, and Occasional.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

So far, I have listened to _Israel in Egypt_, _Joshua_, _Theodora_, _Solomon_, _Judas Maccabaeus_, _Jephtha_, and the _Occasional Oratorio_. I like _Israel in Egypt_ the most. I like the _Occasional_, but it recycles some of Handel's music, including from _The Messiah_.


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## Caesura (Apr 5, 2020)

Joshua, Theodora, Triumph of Time and Truth, and Israel in Egypt are my favourites (in that order). Out of those, I listen to Joshua and Theodora the most.

For recordings, Theodora is good with William Christie and Peter Sellars, even though the staging is unusual (the music is good).

My preferred Joshua: 



Theodora: 



Triumph of Time and Truth (Paul McCreesh): 



Israel in Egypt (Christie again):


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## montealto (Dec 17, 2020)

Belshazzar for the dramatic concept, characterization and superb music.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Which are your favorite Handel oratorios?*

For some reason or another, I could never get a handle on any of this composer's oratorios, except _Messiah_, which I listen to at least twice yearly (during Christmas and Easter season), usually with score in hand.

It is music waiting for me to explore further.


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