Deborah, HWV51 (Handel)
from Handel: Deborah (CDA66841/2)
1 Grave – Allegro – Minuet [5'56]
2 Immortal Lord of earth and skies (chorus) [5'44]
3 O Barak, favour'd of the skies (Deborah/Barak) [0'38]
4 Where do thy ardours raise me? (Barak/Deborah) [4'12]
5 Forbear thy doubts! to arms! away! (chorus) [1'18]
6 Since heav'n has thus his will express'd (Barak) [0'29]
7 For ever to the voice of pray'r (soli/chorus) [1'49]
8 By that adorable decree (Deborah) [0'47]
9 O hear thy lowly servants' pray'r (chorus) [2'49]
10 Ye sons of Israel, cease your fears (Deborah) [0'24]
11 O blast, with thy tremendous brow [0'50]
12 To whomsoe'er his fate the tyrant owes (Barak) [0'34]
13 How lovely is the blooming fair (Barak) [1'54]
14 O Deborah! where'er I turn my eyes (Jael/Deborah) [1'05]
15 Choirs of angels, all around thee (Deborah) [3'32]
16 My transports are too great to tell (Jael) [0'28]
17 To joy he brightens my despair (Jael) [3'49]
18 Barak, my son, the joyful sound (Abinoam) [0'26]
19 Awake the ardour of thy breast (Abinoam) [3'28]
20 I go where heav'n and duty call (Barak) [0'10]
21 All danger disdaining (Barak) [4'12]
22 Let thy deeds be glorious (chorus) [3'09]
23 My charge is to declare (Herald/Barak/Deborah) [1'19]
24 Despair all around them (chorus) [5'13]
25 See, the proud chief advances now (chorus) [4'36]
26 That here rebellious arms I see (Sisera) [0'31]
27 At my feet extended low (Sisera) [2'16]
28 Go frown, barbarian (Deborah) [0'27]
29 In Jehovah's awful sight (Deborah) [2'33]
30 Yes, how your God in wonders can excel (Sisera) [0'13]
31 Whilst you boast the wondrous story (Sisera) [2'45]
32 Impious mortal, cease to brave (Barak) [2'44]
33 Behold the nations all around (Chief Priest of Baal) [0'27]
34 O Baal, monarch of the skies! (chorus of Baal's priests) [1'59]
35 No more, ye infidels, no more! (Chief Priest of the Israelites) [0'20]
36 Lord of eternity, who hast in store (chorus of Israelites) [3'17]
37 By his great name, and his alone (Deborah/Sisera) [0'37]
38 All your boast will end in woe (soli/chorus) [3'20]
39 Great prophetess, my soul's on fire (Barak) [0'18]
40 In the battle, fame pursuing (Barak) [6'05]
41 Thy ardours warm the winter of my age (Abinoam) [0'31]
42 Swift inundation of desolation (Abinoam) [2'52]
43 O Judah, with what joy I see (Israelite woman) [0'17]
44 No more disconsolate I'll mourn (Israelite woman) [3'09]
45 Now, Jael, to thy tent retire (Deborah) [0'22]
46 O the pleasure my soul is possessing (Jael) [3'31]
47 Barak, we now to battle go (Deborah) [0'10]
48 Smiling freedom, lovely guest (Deborah/Barak) [4'17]
49 The great king of kings will aid us today (chorus) [2'51]
50 Now the proud insulting foe (chorus of Israelites) [3'33]
51 The haughty foe whose pride to heav'n did soar (Israelite woman) [0'15]
52 Now sweetly smiling peace descends (Israelite woman) [2'59]
53 My pray'rs are heard, the blessings of this day (Abinoam/Barak) [0'38]
54 Tears, such as tender fathers shed (Abinoam) [2'05]
55 O Deborah, my fears are o'er (Jael) [0'12]
56 Doleful tidings, how ye wound (chorus of Baal's priests) [2'25]
57 Our fears are now forever fled (Israelite woman) [2'15]
58 I saw the tyrant breathless in her tent (Barak/Jael) [1'56]
59 Tyrant, now no more we dread thee (Jael) [4'22]
60 If, Jael, I a right divine (Deborah) [0'20]
61 The glorious sun shall cease to shed (Deborah) [2'22]
62 May heav'n, with kind profusion, shed (Barak) [0'14]
63 Low at her feet he bow'd, he fell (Barak) [3'07]
64 O great Jehovah! may thy foes (Deborah) [0'40]
65 Let our glad songs to heav'n ascend (chorus) [6'47]
277 minutes 46 seconds 65 tracks
Deborah contains some of the most glorious music Handel ever wrote. Even if many of the numbers have been recycled from earlier works, the invention is still staggering. Handel devotees can th ...
‘Superb … the recording is another of these inspired ventures by Hyperion into music we ought to know better’ (BBC Record Review)
‘An important addition to the Handel discography. Handelians will revel in its rediscovery’ (The Sunday Times)