Georg Friedrich Händel: Saul

Symphonischer Chor / Elbipolis / Matthias Janz

Tickets from €17.50 17.50 | 25.20 | 32.90 | 43.90 | 54.90
Tickets from €17.50 17.50 | 25.20 | 32.90 | 43.90 | 54.90
Karola Sophia Schmid
Karola Sophia Schmid © Mona Dadari
Laeiszhalle Hamburg
Laeiszhalle Hamburg © Außenborder
Magdalene Harer
Magdalene Harer © Christian Palm
Jonathan Michie
Jonathan Michie © Kirsten Nijhof
Tobias Hechler
Tobias Hechler © Wildbild
Ilker Arcayürek
Ilker Arcayürek © Janina Laszlo
Symphonischer Chor Hamburg
Symphonischer Chor Hamburg © Simon Redel
Matthias Janz
Matthias Janz © Danish Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Doors open 16:00

  • Start 17:00

Power, Envy and Humanity

Hardly any other work of Baroque music has such a clear-sighted impact on the present as George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Saul. Written in London in 1738, it tells the ancient story of the first king of Israel, whose jealousy of the young hero David leads to tragedy. But Saul is more than biblical history – it is a musical psychogram about power and humanity, about the dangerous pull of fame and the price of political vanity. Anyone looking today at the tensions between authority and change, old and new, will discover in Handel’s music an almost timeless reflection of our social and political upheavals.

With luminous choruses, haunting arias, and orchestral drama, Handel creates a gripping psychological drama that goes far beyond the religious subject matter. The characters are impressively portrayed: the fanatical fury of the king, David’s gentle strength, Jonathan’s loyalty, Michal’s quiet love. Virtuoso choruses alternate with moving arias and instrumental surprises – including the organ, which Handel himself played. This tonal diversity creates a dramatic force that extends far beyond the sacred.

Saul is a work about people in extreme situations – shockingly relevant in times of global power games, vulnerable democracies, and public spectacle. Handel’s music does not ask about winners or losers, but about human dignity in the storm of emotions. An oratorio that is more than a stage action: a musical mirror of our times.

Performers

Symphonischer Chor Hamburg

Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg

Jonathan Michie bass

Tobias Hechler alto

Ilker Arcayürek tenor

Magdalene Harer soprano

Karola Sophia Schmid soprano

director Matthias Janz

Programme

Georg Friedrich Händel
Saul / Oratorium in drei Akten HWV 53

Promoter: Symphonischer Chor Hamburg e.V.

During your visit

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