Hercules (HWV 60)

Album by George Frideric Handel & Les Musiciens du Louvre & Marc Minkowski

Hercules (HWV 60) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel, composed in 1744–1745. The work is a dramatic oratorio that blends operatic recitatives and arias with vigorous choruses and expressive orchestral writing, reflecting Handel's late-Baroque style and his interest in theatrical vocal writing during his mature period.
BaroqueClassical

About

Disc 1

  1. 1.
    Overtura
    4:32
  2. 2.
    Menuetto
    2:02
  3. 3.
    Recitativo Accompagnato: See, with what sad dejection in her looks
    2:01
  4. 4.
    Aria: No longer, Fate, relentless frown
    5:45
  5. 5.
    Recitativo Accompagnato: O Hercules! why art thou absent from me?
    0:50
  6. 6.
    Aria: The world, when day's career is run
    4:30
  7. 7.
    Recitativo: Princess! be comforted, and hope the best ... My son! Dear image of thy absent sire!
    1:25
  8. 8.
    Aria: I feel, I feel the god, he swells my breast!
    1:33
  9. 9.
    Recitativo: He said, the sacred fury left his breast
    0:58
  10. 10.
    Aria: There in myrtle shades reclined
    3:21
  11. 11.
    Recitativo: Despair not; but let rising hope suspend
    0:26
  12. 12.
    Aria: Where congealed the northern streams
    1:53
  13. 13.
    Chorus: O filial piety! O gen'rous love!
    5:18
  14. 14.
    Recitativo: Banish your fears!
    0:30
  15. 15.
    Aria: Begone, my fears, fly, hence, away
    3:26
  16. 16.
    Recitativo: A train of captives, red with honest wounds
    0:54
  17. 17.
    Aria: The smiling hours, a joyful train
    1:20
  18. 18.
    Chorus: Let none despair, relief may come though late
    2:25
  19. 19.
    March
    1:49
  20. 20.
    Recitativo: Thanks to the pow'rs above, but chief to thee
    1:27
  21. 21.
    Aria: My father! Ah! methinks I see
    5:56
  22. 22.
    Recitativo: Now farewell, arms!
    0:25
  23. 23.
    Aria: The god of battle quits the bloody field
    2:23
  24. 24.
    Recitativo: Ah me! How soon the flatterer hope
    0:26
  25. 25.
    Aria: Daughter of gods, bright liberty!
    5:55
  26. 26.
    Chorus: Crow with festal pomp the day
    2:28

Disc 2

  1. 2.
    Sinfonia
    1:11
  2. 3.
    Recitativo: Why was I born a princess
    0:18
  3. 4.
    Aria: How blest the maid, ordained to dwell
    5:56
  4. 5.
    Recitativo: It must be so! fame speaks aloud my wrongs
    0:38
  5. 6.
    Aria: When beauty sorrow's liv'ry wears
    2:47
  6. 7.
    Recitativo: Whence this unjust suspicion?
    1:10
  7. 8.
    Aria: Ah! Think what ills the jealous prove
    5:52
  8. 9.
    Recitativo: It is too sure that Hercules is false ... my godlike master? - Is a traitor
    0:19
  9. 10.
    Recitativo (cont.): In vain you strive his falsehood to disguise!
    0:16
  10. 11.
    Chorus: Jealousy! Infernal pest
    5:17
  11. 12.
    Recitativo: She knows my passion, and has heard me breathe
    1:45
  12. 13.
    Aria: Banish love from thy breast
    2:17
  13. 14.
    Recitativo: Forgive a passion, which resistless sways
    0:10
  14. 15.
    Aria: From celestial seats descending
    5:36
  15. 16.
    Chorus: Wanton god of amorous fires
    2:03
  16. 17.
    Recitativo: Yes, I congratulate your titles
    0:44
  17. 18.
    Aria: Alcides' name in latest story
    4:47
  18. 19.
    Recitativo: O glorious pattern of heroic deeds!
    0:29
  19. 20.
    Aria: Resign thy club and lion's spoils
    4:55
  20. 21.
    Recitativo: You are deceived! Some villain has belied .. Dissembling, false, perfidious Hercules!
    1:29
  21. 22.
    Aria: Cease, ruler of the day, to rise
    3:49
  22. 23.
    Recitativo: Some kinder pow'r inspire me ... Lichas, thy hands shall to the temple bear
    1:26
  23. 24.
    Aria: As stars, that rise and disappear
    3:54
  24. 25.
    Recitativo: But see, the princess Iole. Retire! ... Forgive me, princess if my jealous frenzy
    1:15
  25. 26.
    Duet: Joys of freedom, joys of pow'r
    2:32
  26. 27.
    Recitativo: Father of Hercules, great Jove
    0:17
  27. 28.
    Chorus: Love and Hymen, hand in hand
    3:55

Disc 3

  1. 3.
    Sinfonia
    3:53
  2. 4.
    Recitativo: Ye sons of Trachin, mourn your valiant chief
    1:26
  3. 5.
    Aria: Oh scene of unexampled woe
    3:06
  4. 6.
    Chorus: Tyrants now no more shall dread
    4:14
  5. 7.
    Recitativo accompagnato: O Jove! What land is this
    2:23
  6. 8.
    Recitativo: Great Jove! relieve his pains!
    2:09
  7. 9.
    Aria: Let not fame the tidings spread
    4:03
  8. 10.
    Recitativo accompagnato: Where shall I fly?
    6:13
  9. 11.
    Recitativo: Lo! The fair, fatal cause of all this ruin!
    1:16
  10. 12.
    Aria: My breast with tender pity swells
    6:49
  11. 13.
    Recitativo: Princess, rejoice! Whose heav'n-directed hand
    1:46
  12. 14.
    Aria: He, who for Atlas prop'd the sky
    1:50
  13. 15.
    Recitativo: Words are too faint to speak the warring passions
    1:06
  14. 16.
    Duet: O prince, whose virtues all admire
    3:26
  15. 17.
    Recitativo: Ye sons of freedom, now, in ev'ry clime
    0:17
  16. 18.
    Chorus: To him your grateful notes of praise belong
    2:35

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