description Athalia Overview
Athalia is an English-language oratorio by George Frideric Handel, completed and first performed in 1733 at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. Its libretto by Samuel Humphreys adapts Jean Racine's French tragedy Athalie and follows the biblical queen Athaliah of Judah, whose rule is challenged by a hidden heir to the Davidic line. The work combines solo scenes, recitative, and choruses and belongs to Handel's English sacred dramas.
help Athalia FAQ
What is Handel’s Athalia about?
It follows Athaliah, the biblical queen of Judah, whose rule is challenged by a hidden heir to the throne. The English libretto by Samuel Humphreys adapts Jean Racine’s French tragedy Athalie.
When was Athalia first performed?
George Frideric Handel completed the oratorio in 1733, and its first performance took place at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre. It is an English-language work rather than a German or Italian oratorio.
Is Athalia an opera or an oratorio?
Athalia is an oratorio, so it tells its story through soloists, chorus, and orchestra without the staging normally associated with opera. Its biblical subject and dramatic scenes can still make it feel highly theatrical in concert.
Which source text does Athalia use?
The work draws on Jean Racine’s 1691 French tragedy Athalie. Samuel Humphreys reshaped that material into an English libretto for Handel’s 1733 oratorio.
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