Belshazzar (HWV 61)

With the oratorio Belshazzar, the Göttingen International Handel Festival may not be reaching completely uncharted terrains, but rarely explored ones. Indeed this work has only been performed twice in the history of the Festival: in 1959 and 2007.

The basis of one of Handel's most dramatic and extensive contributions to the genre is provided by the story of the Babylonian regent Belšazar and his verdict “Mene, Tekel, U-parsin”, written by divine hand on the palace wall. The story ends with the Jewish people being led back from captivity to their native shores by the draining of the river Euphrates. This rarely performed oratorio featuring the NDR Vocal Ensemble and Concerto Köln under the baton of Václav Luks will not only prove to be a musical discovery for many visitors to the Festival, but will also shine in a completely new light in the newly renovated St. Johannis Church.