'Belshazzar' is a wonderful work. Always have loved most of Handel's music, especially 'Giulio Cesare', 'Messiah' and 'Theodora', but the story is compelling, the words are some of the most meaningful perhaps of any Handel oratorio and gorgeous music.
It's not the first Handel oratorio to receive the "staged opera" treatment. 'Messiah' has had it twice, one is very good, the other which feels more like a film is interesting but just decent spoilt by some very perplexing symbolism. 'Theodora' has also had it twice, both performances are superb, especially the incredibly powerful earlier one from Peter Sellars. 'Acis and Galatea' has been difficult to define what it really is as it's described in numerous sources as many things, that also has an outstanding performance.
This performance of 'Belshazzar' is one of the very good productions. Visually, it's kept simple rather than flashy and cluttered and is very atmospherically lit. Less successful, and one of the production's biggest flaws, is the incoherent and very unattractively ugly hodgepodge of costumes. Video directing is intimate and never superfluous or too busy, and picture and sound are good.
Staging is done with genuine sincerity and plenty of fiery intensity and poignant emotional impact. There is nowhere near enough, if it was at all featured, of the "writing on the wall" aspect of the work, which was a great shame. 'Belshazzar' definitely translates well staged.
Musically, apart from occasional mannered continuo playing, the production is outstanding, with energetic and nuanced orchestral playing, rousing, blazingly intense and heartfelt-and-full-of-pathos orchestral playing and accommodating and dramatically alert conducting.
As for the singing, crucial in making the music work, there are no complaints. Bejun Mehta is particularly goose-bump inducing here, particularly in his near-definitive rendition of "Destructive war, thy limits know". Rosemary Joshua sings with purity and pathos, Kristina Hammarstrom is moving and Kenneth Tarver is a very strong presence vocally and dramatically.
All in all, mostly very well done apart from the costumes and one aspect of the story that is missed. 8/10 Bethany Cox
