Rosemary Joshua (Michal), Emma Bell (Merab), Lawrence Zazzo (David), Jeremy Ovenden (Jonathan), Michael Slattery (High Priest, Witch of Endor), Finnur Bjarnason (Amalekite, Abner), Henry Waddington (Doeg, Samuel), Gidon Saks (Saul)
RIAS Kammerchor & Concerto Köln, René Jacobs
The most dramatic of oratorios. Although oratorios are not intended to be staged, Handel's Saul is something of an exception – for one thing, it contains extremely precise stage directions which were printed in the wordbooks distributed at performances. Hence audiences at the first English oratorios could construct a form of mental theatre, aided by Handel's dazzling musical depiction of the action: as we listen, we can see Goliath's gigantic strides, the course of the Jordan, or Saul throwing his javelin.