Prom 43 – Handel’s Solomon

Part of the BBC Proms.

The Proms’ ongoing sequence of Handel oratorios continues with Solomon. Sofi Jeannin conducts early music specialists The English Concert in this mature masterpiece that combines operatic drama with spiritual solemnity in its retelling of the story of the wise King Solomon. The exhilarating ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ is just one highlight in a work whose intricate choral writing and richly varied orchestration combine in a score of breadth and beauty. American soprano Joélle Harvey and British counter-tenor lestyn Davies lead an all-star cast.