Athalia (Handel)

George Frideric Handel

Athalia (HWV 52) is an English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel to a libretto by Samuel Humphreys based on the play Athalie by Jean Racine. The work was commissioned in 1733 for the Publick Act in Oxford – a commencement ceremony of the University of Oxford, which had offered Handel an honorary doctorate (an honour he declined).[1] The story is based on that of the Biblical queen Athaliah. Athalia, Handel's third oratorio in English, was completed on 7 June 1733,[2] and first performed on 10 July 1733 at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford.[3] The Bee (14 July 1733) reported that the performance was "performed with the utmost Applause, and is esteemed equal to the most celebrated of that Gentleman's Performances: there were 3700 Persons present".[3]

Athalia was first given in London on 1 April 1735 at Covent Garden Theatre.

  1. ^ Smither 1977, pp. 204–205.
  2. ^ Smither 1977, p. 204.
  3. ^ a b Smither 1977, p. 205.