Jephtha

Album by George Frideric Handel & Anthony Rolfe Johnson & Margaret Marshall & Alfreda Hodgson & Paul Esswood & Emma Kirkby & Sir Neville Marriner

Jephtha is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel, first performed in 1752. It is a late-Baroque sacred vocal work combining choral writing, solo arias and recitatives with orchestral accompaniment, and it represents one of Handel's final oratorios, reflecting his mature approach to dramatic sacred narrative.
First released: 1990

Tracklist

  1. 1.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 24. Recitative: Glad Tidings of Great Joy (Hamor)
    1:10
  2. 2.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 48. Accompagnato: Hide Thou Thy Hated Beams, o Sun (Jephtha) / Recitative: A Father, Offering Up His Only Child (/Ephtha)
    2:55
  3. 3.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 1. Overture
    3:50
  4. 4.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 2. Menuet
    1:43
  5. 5.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 49. Air: Waft Her, Angels, Through the Skies (Jephtha)
    4:48
  6. 6.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 25. Chorus: Cherub and Seraphim
    3:12
  7. 7.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 50. Accompagnato: Ye Sacred Priests, Whose Hands Ne’er Yet (Iphis) / No. 51. Air: Farewell, Ye Limpid Springs and Floods (Iphis)
    6:02
  8. 8.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 3. Recitative: It Must Be So – or These Vile Ammonites (Zebul)
    1:26
  9. 9.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 26. Air: Up the Dreadful Steep Ascending (Hamor)
    5:27
  10. 10.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 52. Chorus: Doubtful Fear and Rev’rent Awe
    5:00
  11. 11.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 4. Air: Pour Forth No More Unheeded Pray’Rs (Zebul)
    3:15
  12. 12.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 27. Recitative: ’Tis Well. Haste, Haste, Ye Maidens (Iphis) / No. 28. Air: Tune the Soft Melodious Lute (Iphis)
    5:06
  13. 13.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 5. Chorus: No More to Ammon’s God and King
    2:57
  14. 14.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 29. Recitative: Again Heav’n Smiles on His Repentant People (Zebul) / No. 30. Air: Freedom Now Once More Possessing (Zebul)
    4:05
  15. 15.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 53. Symphony
    1:28
  16. 16.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 54. Recitative: Rise, Jephtha, and Ye Rev’rend Priests (Angel)
    1:11
  17. 17.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 6. Recitative: But Jephtha Comes. Kind Heaven, Assist Our Plea (Zebul)
    1:00
  18. 18.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 31. Recitative: Zebul, Thy Deeds Were Valiant (Jephtha) / No. 32. Air: His Mighty Arm, With Sudden Blow (Fephtha)
    6:04
  19. 19.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 33. Chorus: In Glory High, in Might Serene
    2:25
  20. 20.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 55. Air: Happy, Iphis, Shalt Thou Live (Angel)
    4:43
  21. 21.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 7. Air: Virtue My Soul Shall Still Embrace (Jephtha)
    4:04
  22. 22.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 56. Arioso: For Ever Blessed Be Thy Holy Name (Jephtha)
    1:50
  23. 23.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 8. Recitative: ’Twill Be a Painful Separation, Jephtha (Storgè) / No. 9. Air: In Gentle Murmurs Will I Mourn (Storgè)
    5:17
  24. 24.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 34. Symphony
    1:18
  25. 25.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 10. Recitative: Happy This Embassy, My Charming Iphis (Hamor) / No. 11. Air: Dull Delay, in Piercing Anguish (Hamor)
    4:47
  26. 26.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 57. Chorus: Theme Sublime of Endless Praise
    3:10
  27. 27.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 35. Recitative: Hail, Glorious Conqueror (Iphis) / No. 36. Air: Welcome as the Cheerful Light… Welcome Thou, Whose Deeds Conspire (Iphis, Chorus of Boys)
    4:02
  28. 28.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 37. Recitative: Horror! Confusion! (Jephtha) / No. 38. Air: Open Thy Marble Jaws, o Tomb (Jephtha)
    4:50
  29. 29.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 58. Recitative: Let Me Congratulate This Happy Turn (Zebul) / No. 59. Air: Laud Her, All Ye Virgin Train (Zebul)
    1:44
  30. 30.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 12. Recitative: Ill Suits the Voice of Love When Glory Calls (Iphis) / No. 13. Air: Take the Heart You Fondly Gave (Iphis)
    5:00
  31. 31.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 39. Recitative: Why Is My Brother Thus Afflicted? (Zebul)
    1:14
  32. 32.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 14. Recitative: I Go. My Soul, Inspir’d by Thy Command (Hamor) / No. 15. Duet: These Labours Past, How Happy We! (Iphis, Hamor)
    6:40
  33. 33.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 60. Recitative: O Let Me Fold Thee in a Mother’s Arms (Storgè) / No. 61. Air: Sweet as Sight to the Blind (Storgè)
    2:32
  34. 34.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 16. Recitative: What Mean These Doubtful Fancies of the Brain? (Jephtha) / Accompagnato: If, Lord, Sustained by Thy Almighty Pow’r (Jephtha)
    1:29
  35. 35.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 40. Concitato: First Perish Thou, and Perish All the World! (Storgè) / Air: Let Other Creatures Die (Storgè)
    2:13
  36. 36.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 62. Recitative: With Transport, Iphis, I Behold Thy Safety (Hamor) / No. 63. Air: ’Tis Heaven’s All-Ruling Pow’r (Hamor)
    5:41
  37. 37.
    Jephtha, Act I: Accompagnato: ’Tis Said (Jephtha) / No. 17. Chorus: O God, Behold Our Sore Distress
    4:42
  38. 38.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 41. Recitative: If Such Thy Cruel Purpose (Hamor) / No. 42. Air: On Me Let Blind Mistaken Zeal (Hamor)
    1:51
  39. 39.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 64. Recitative: My Faithful Hamor, May That Providence (Iphis) / No. 65. Quintet: All That Is in Hamor Mine (Iphis, Hamor, Storgè, Jephtha, Zebul)
    4:21
  40. 40.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 18. Recitative: Some Dire Event Hands O’Er Our Heads (Storgè) / No. 19. Air: Scenes of Horror, Scenes of Woe (Storgè)
    5:13
  41. 41.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 43. Quartet: O Spare Your Daughter (Zebul, Storgè, Hamor, Jephtha)
    2:40
  42. 42.
    Jephtha, Act III: No. 66. Chorus: Ye House of Gilead
    3:50
  43. 43.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 20. Recitative: Say, My Dear Mother, Whence These Piercing Cries (Iphis)
    0:51
  44. 44.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 44. Recitative: Such News Flies Swift (Iphis) / No. 45. Air: Happy They! This Vital Breath (Iphis)
    4:12
  45. 45.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Sinfonia / Chorus: In the Lord I Put My Trust
    8:21
  46. 46.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 46. Accompagnato: Deeper, and Deeper Still (Jephtha)
    3:23
  47. 47.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 21. Air: The Smiling Dawn of Happy Days (Iphis)
    3:01
  48. 48.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Solo: God is a Constant Sure Defence (tenor)
    2:40
  49. 49.
    Jephtha, Act II: No. 47. Chorus: How Dark, o Lord, Are Thy Decrees
    8:56
  50. 50.
    Jephtha, Act I: No. 22. Recitative: Such, Jephtha, Was the Haughty King’s Reply (Zebul) / No. 23. Chorus: When His Loud Voice in Thunder Spoke
    5:14
  51. 51.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Chorus: Behold, the Wicked Bend Their Bow
    2:51
  52. 52.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Solo: But God, Who Hears the Suff’ring Poor (tenor)
    2:23
  53. 53.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Chorus: Snares, Fire and Brimstone
    1:56
  54. 54.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Solo: The Righteous Lord Will Righteous Deeds (tenor)
    2:21
  55. 55.
    Chandos Anthem no. 2: Chorus: Then Shall My Song, With Praise Inspir’d
    2:39

Credits