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Which Bible stories inspired George Frideric Handel’s oratorios?
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George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel, oil on canvas by Thomas Hudson, c. 1736; in the Foundling Museum, London.
George Frideric Handel’s English oratorios were primarily inspired by dramatic themes and narratives found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which he used to illustrate the heroism and suffering of various individuals.12
Notable examples of these biblical oratorios include:
- Esther: One of his early works in the genre.12
- Saul, Samson, Belshazzar, and Jephtha: Consummately crafted later works that focus on specific dramatic biblical figures.12
- Israel in Egypt: Distinguished by its massive choral structure.12
- Messiah: Unlike his other dramatic narrations, this work serves as a meditation on the life of Christ. Its text was assembled from Old Testament prophecies, New Testament accounts of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, and verses from the Book of Revelation concerning Judgment Day.3
While Handel is famous for these biblical settings, he also utilized the oratorio genre for secular works based on Greek mythology, such as Semele and Hercules.12