George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner

''Gideon'' (no HWV number) is an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...

compiled largely from the works of

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

John Christopher Smith John Christopher Smith (born Johann Christoph Schmidt; 1712, Ansbach3 October 1795, Bath, Somerset, Bath) was an English composer who, following in his father's footsteps, became George Frideric Handel's secretary and amanuensis. Life John Chri ...

. It was first performed on 10 February 1769 at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, London. Half of this oratorio is derived from the works of Handel (“75:17 for the Handel elements and 76:36 for those by Smith” in Georg Friedrich Händel and John Christopher Smith – Gideon (Junge Kantorei - Frankfurt Barockorchester - Joachim Carlos Martini - 2004)), but Smith used an overture and six vocal items from his own oratorio of 1762 ''The Feast of Darius''.

Dramatis personae

Gideon Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiez ...

(

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

) *Oreb (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

) *Joash (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

) *Angel (soprano) *Three Israelites (soprano) *Messenger (soprano) *Israelite (

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a s ...

) *Prophet (bass) *Priest of Baal (bass)

External links

gfhandel.org Gideon review
Oratorios by George Frideric Handel 1769 oratorios {{classical-composition-stub