Entrance of the Queen of Sheba

About the composer:

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German-born Baroque composer who became a naturalized British citizen. Born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany, Handel showed early musical talent, though his father initially opposed his musical pursuits. After studying law briefly, he dedicated himself to music, becoming a skilled organist and composer.

Handel worked in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he gained fame for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental works. His most famous piece, Messiah (1741), remains a masterpiece of choral music. A prolific composer, Handel also wrote Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and numerous operas like Giulio Cesare.

Known for his dramatic flair and melodic brilliance, Handel became a leading figure in British music. Despite going blind later in life, he continued composing until his death on April 14, 1759. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, honored as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era.

Portrait of Handel in 1726

Artistic Director's Notes

Handel's oratorio Solomon was written in 1748 and was first performed in London's Covent Garden Theatre (The current Royal Opera House is built on the same grounds, after the 2 previous theatres burnt down in the early 19th Century) the next year. 

Solomon’s libretto includes various Biblical stories about the wise King Solomon (Kingdom of Israel and Judah) and as well as some material from the Roman historian Flavius Josephus’ work Antiquities of the Jews. 

The first Opera and the first Oratorio were created in Italy around the same time - in 1600. They both involve solo singers, a chorus and an orchestra but differ in two important ways. The first, and perhaps most obvious to modern audiences, is that an Opera involves staging - sets, costumes and most importantly the characters move on stage to help with the dramatic action, whereas an Oratorio is usually performed with few, if any costumes, and there is no staging, nor movement. Interestingly, both forms often include a Ballet (or several), perhaps stretching the “no movement” dichotomy. The other difference is that Oratorio’s texts are usually taken from religious sources, most often the Bible, whereas opera stories can be from any subject manner. Originally, almost all the stories used as the basis of an opera were classical i.e. from Roman,Greek, or other Ancient civilisation’s sources. 

The music we are performing tonight - The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba, is from the beginning of the 3rd Act of the oratorio, and is, as one can tell from the title, music that is used to accompany the Queen’s visit to the Kingdom of Solomon. This is the most well-known of the music in this oratorio and its title was given, purportedly, by Sir Thomas Beecham in the 1930s. Handel’s original title was Sinfonia, an Italian word, via Latin and Ancient Greek meaning an agreement of sound. As one may guess, the later development of the Symphony - we usually think of Franz Joseph Haydn as the “father” of the symphony, came from the use of sinfonias in opera and oratorio. As the sinfonias became longer and more complicated, they slowly developed into their own musical work.

An amusing sidenote that I learned whilst doing research for this, is that the original performer of the part of the Queen of Sheba, Guilia Frasi played several roles in the performance - Solomon’s Queen in Act I, and possibly more amusingly, the first Harlot in Act II (The story is about two women who both claim to be the mother of a child). Frasi was Handel’s favourite prima donna, and most of the Soprano roles in his operas were written specifically for her - including the Soprano roles in the Messiah.

On another sidenote, one of the main characters in Solomon is Zadok, the High Priest of Israel under both Solomon, and his father King David. Handel must have been taken with this character, as he wrote what is known as a Coronation Anthem for the crowning of King George II (of Britain) in 1727. This anthem has been sung at every coronation of a British King or Queen since then, and is now perhaps the best known of all of Handel’s music, as an arrangement of it is used to introduce every UEFA Champions League (Soccer/Football) game, both live and on television, which now means that 10s of millions of viewers hear this music every year.