George Frideric Handel – Nabal (2002)

CD1
1. Nabal: Part 1 - Symphonia	4:27
2. Nabal: Part 1 - Recitative: Here in the Wilderness of Paran (David)	0:34
3. Nabal: Part 1 - Chorus: The righteous shall be had in everlasting rememberance	8:11
4. Nabal: Part 1 - Accompagnato: Have mercy on us, Lord (David)	0:41
5. Nabal: Part 1 - Air: Food they ask'd (David)	2:38
6. Nabal: Part 1 - Recitative: No doubt (Asaph)	0:28
7. Nabal: Part 1 - Air: The Lord, our guide (Asaph)	4:43
8. Nabal: Part 1 - Chorus: The Lord, our guide	1:38
9. Nabal: Part 1 - Recitative: How hard the woman's fate (Abigail)	0:36
10. Nabal: Part 1 - Air: Free from discord (Abigali)	2:03						play
11. Nabal: Part 1 - Recitative: Avaunt, unpleasing wretch (Nabal)	0:37
12. Nabal: Part 1 - Air: Still fill the bowl (Nabal)	3:33	
13. Nabal: Part 1 - Ballo and Minuet	2:08
14. Nabal: Part 1 - Gavotte	1:17
15. Nabal: Part 1 - Siciliana	0:50
16. Nabal: Part 1 - Air: Gay and light as yonder sheep (Shepherd)	3:41	
17. Nabal: Part 1 - Chorus: Gay and light as yonder sheep	0:59
18. Nabal: Part 1 - Recitative: 'Tis Carmel's annual holiday (Nabal)	0:24
19. Nabal: Part 1 - Chorus: Happy, while we reign in pleasure	2:04
20. Nabal: Part 2 - Recitative: Asaph, 'tis well advis'd (David)	1:03	
21. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: Great Creator (David)	1:54	$
22. Nabal: Part 2 - Chorus: God, who in thy heav'nly hand	3:50	
23. Nabal: Part 2 - Recitative and Accompagnato: Thus saith my Lord (Asaph)	1:42	
24. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: Grateful hearts enjoy the blessing (Asaph)	3:20	
25. Nabal: Part 2 - Recitative: Who is this David? (Nabal)	0:38
26. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: With harps new strung	1:08									play
27. Nabal: Part 2 - Solo and Chorus: Come! Come! Live with pleasure (Shepherd)	1:50	
28. Nabal: Part 2 - Air and Chorus: Sing we the feast (Shepherd, Chorus)	6:38
29. Nabal: Part 2 - Chorus: Crown with festal pomp the day	3:05

CD2
1. Nabal: Part 2 - Accompagnato: Thrice happy sheep (Abigail)	1:22	
2. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: Mind eternal (Abigail)	3:23
3. Nabal: Part 2 - Recitative: Fly my good mistress (Shepherd, Abigail)	0:59
4. Nabal: Part 2 - Accompagnato: Fell monster! (David)	0:28
5. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: Fury in all thy terrors rise (David)	4:12	
6. Nabal: Part 2 - Accompagnato: On me, my Lord, on me (Abigali)	1:47
7. Nabal: Part 2 - Air: Mercy, thou heavn'ly cherub (Abigail)	2:20				play
8. Nabal: Part 2 - Accompagnato: Blessed be the Lord (David)	1:04
9. Nabal: Part 2 - Chorus: All creatures upon God depend	3:51
10. Nabal: Part 3 - Interludes	4:24
11. Nabal: Part 3 - Accompagnato: Ah! Whence this sudden dread (Nabal)	1:19
12. Nabal: Part 3 - Air: Oh! Who can tell the terrors? (Nabal)	4:09
13. Nabal: Part 3 - Recitative: How soon the scene is chang'd (Shepherd)	0:39	
14. Nabal: Part 3 - Chorus: By slow degrees the wrath of God	4:12	
15. Nabal: Part 3 - Recitative: A messenger, my Lord (Asaph)	1:13
16. Nabal: Part 3 - Air: When beauty sorrow's livery wears (Asaph)	2:12	
17. Nabal: Part 3 - Recitative: True is your observation (David)	0:24
18. Nabal: Part 3 - Air: Lovely beauty (David)	6:41	
19. Nabal: Part 3 - Recitative: Behold! Thine handmaid (Abigail)	0:59	
20. Nabal: Part 3 - Air: Come ye smiling hours (Abigail)	4:49
21. Nabal: Part 3 - Accompagnato: Guardian angels (Shepherd)	0:27
22. Nabal: Part 3 - Duet: Thrice happy pair (Shepherd, Asaph)	4:32	
23. Nabal: Part 3 - Solo and Chorus: Still caressing (Shepherd, Chorus)	2:34	
24. Nabal: Part 3 - Recitative: In praise, to great Jehovah (Abigail)	0:19			play	
25. Nabal: Part 3 - Duet: Thoughts sublime (Abigail, David)	2:24
26. Nabal: Part 3 - Chorus: O glorious prince	5:11

Linda Perillo - soprano
Knut Schoch - tenor
Stephan McLeod - bass
Francine van der Heijden - soprano
Maya Boog - soprano

Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra
Junge Kantorei
Joachim Carlos Martini - director, 2002

An enjoyable glimpse into a long-defunct genre, Nabal is a pastiche oratorio (or pasticcio) first performed in 1764, some five years after Handel's death. The work was compiled from Handel's music by John Christopher Smith, son of Handel's principal copyist, who inherited the composer's scores in manuscript from his father. Continuing the Handel connection, the libretto is by his old collaborator, Thomas Morell.

The story is another in the then-popular tales from the Old Testament tradition, this time concerning Nabal, a wealthy but mean-spirited old buffer who spurns David when he is in exile from the court of Saul. Nabal's wife Abigail, however, pledges her loyalty to the future king, and when Nabal gets wind of this he promptly dies, leaving Abigail free to become one of David's wives. The music is drawn from a broad and eclectic cross section of operas, oratorios, anthems, and cantatas, with the addition of recitatives attributed to Smith and some tantalizing musical settings simply referred to in the booklet as "source unknown."

In this live concert, recorded during June 2000, the five soloists, who share the arias fairly equally, all do good service. But the chorus lacks a little fire and could be more disciplined, and the same goes for the period-instrument Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra. Conductor Joachim Carlos Martini maintains a brisk pace that helps disguise some of the scrappy sections, however, and the result, if hardly essential, is a curiosity that seasoned Handelians will want to investigate. --Mark Walker, Editorial Reviews

Given just two performances in 1764, five years after Handel’s death, Nabal is a pasticcio oratorio with material drawn from a wide range of the composer’s works. It was compiled by John Christopher Smith, Handel’s favourite copyist as well as a composer, using material left to him in Handel’s will. The story is drawn from the Old Testament, the book of Samuel, where the young David defies the rich and churlish Nabal, who promptly dies and whose wife Abigail, then becomes one of David’s wives. The libretto was written by Thomas Morell, who had collaborated with Handel on at least four of his oratorios, including Theodora and Jephtha. Here he had to fit works to music already written, with fluent results. It makes an attractive curiosity in a generally well-sung, alert performance, recorded live with occasionally intrusive applause. All five soloists have fresh young voices, with all three sopranos first rate and Knut Schoch as David clear and fluent. As Nabal, Stephan MacLeod is not weighty or old-sounding enough for a villainous role, but he sings well. The principal snag is that the chorus is dimly recorded, set behind the soloists and period orchestra. A valuable issue, just the same. ---Penguin Guide

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