Solomon is one of Handel’s towering masterpieces, written at the height of his powers after a long experimentation with not only Italian style opera, but a move towards all sorts of differing styles of oratorios as well. This work, completed in 1748 and premiered in 1749, got only three performances, and must have been an expensive task for the composer as he was allowing for not only his normal contingency of 25 strings, but also additional winds. Why only three (and two ten years later in a greatly neutered form) remains a bit of a mystery, but it could be that the public simply was expecting more drama, even in an oratorio. Solomon is partly religious, and partly secular, being rather graphic in its celebrations of sexual love. It embraces the man at the pinnacle of his powers and popularity, also emphasizing his wisdom, but hinting that his sexual proclivities may be his undoing. Yet in the end, with the arrival of the Queen of Sheba, it is pure choral spectacle, the Queen speaking of how much she has learned and will never forget after her stay with the great ruler.
Unless you include Thomas Beecham’s very period-oriented performance, there are now essentially two recording competing in the Solomon sweepstakes: this one, and the 1984 recording by John Eliot Gardiner. I have seen a couple of other website reviews that categorically state this one is far and away the only one to have, but I just don’t see it. Don’t get me wrong—this is a superb effort by committed and talented performers. But in this sort of work—and especially this one—the singing is vital, and Gardiner’s cast still remains the one to top. I will say that Sarah Connolly is as good as Carolyn Watkinson in the Philips recording, both about par and both equally demonstrable. But the more feminine and subdued voice of Nancy Argenta suits the role of Solomon’s queen better than Susan Gritton in this recording, though she is fine indeed. Carolyn Sampson makes for a radiant Queen of Sheba until you hear Barbara Hendricks in one of her greatest performances ever, one for the ages. And to my great surprise, Gardiner’s Anthony Rolfe Johnson, whom I think of as a lesser light than Mark Padmore on this recording, actually outdoes his more modern colleague. Maybe it was just one of those things—Gardiner’s cast was really on during the recording and created a standard-setting issue that is tough to top.
Choruses and orchestras are about the same in both recordings, that is, very good indeed, and there are some spectacular choruses in this work. Sound also is very similar, again surprising since 23 years separate them. Is this one worth having? In my mind, very much so, for many will disagree with me slightly over the singers, and there is some truly silken singing in this issue, with perhaps the HM release being a little more attuned to the drama, such as it is. Also, Gardiner rather brazenly admits that he thinks there is a lot of “deadwood” in this piece, and freely cut those pieces that seemed less alive to him. The result is that this release is far more complete, and so you get more music including some important arias for the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. The decision: get both! Seriously, this is one of the greatest oratorios ever penned, and well worth the cost of having two around. You must have the Gardiner, and it is now available for a couple of tens in the “Originals” series. And this new one features a new generational take on the formidable masterpiece. Go for it.
— Steven Ritter
