Handel: Zadok the Priest | The English Concert & Händelfestspielorchester Halle
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Published 2022-07-10
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed “Zadok the Priest” for the coronation of the British monarch George II and queen consort Caroline of Ansbach, in 1727. At the time of composition, Handel had already lived in London for over a decade, and he would remain there until his death in 1759. In February 1727, mere months before the coronation of George II, the German born Handel became a British citizen – a highly complicated process at the time, which demonstrates Handel’s commitment to the country.
“Zadok the Priest” is one of four anthems Handel composed for the coronation celebration in 1727. The work was first played for George II and has been performed at the coronation of every British monarch since then – most recently at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The text for “Zadok the Priest'' was picked by Handel himself. The composer is quoted to have said the following words upon receiving a text suggestion by the bishops: “I have read my Bible very well, and shall choose for myself”.
The opening of the piece is carried by a ceremonial and regal string section which gradually builds up, before finally bursting into a triumphant eruption of trumpets and a choir which sings:
“Zadok the Priest
And Nathan the Prophet
Anointed Solomon King”
The exuberant quality of the choir continues to develop over the following bars and eventually culminates in an ecstatically joyful “God save the King!” – highly fitting for the ceremonial setting it is usually performed in.
Artists:
The English Concert
Händelfestspielorchester Halle
MDR Rundfunkchor
Hallenser Madrigalisten
Händelfestspielchor
Chor der Oper Halle
Howard Arman, conductor
© EuroArts Music International
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All Comments (21)
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For those wondering: Yes, they based the Champion's League theme on Zadok the Priest by Händel, who explicitly wrote this for the coronation of George II..
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die meister die basten les grandes equipes THE CHAMPIONS
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Stunning and to think in the days when this was performed there were no recording devices, so if you were lucky enough to hear it in a concert or a coronation it would probably be the only time you would ever hear it in your life so it would have a profound effect on you.
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The orchestra and choir at Westminster Abbey on the 6th May 2023 for the Coronation of King Charles III did not disappoint. It was amazing and majestic.
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'To him I bow the knee, for Handel is the greatest, ablest composer who ever lived.' (Beethoven)
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This is a stunning piece of music. The way it builds, ebbs and flows. Such depth. Utter majesty. Stupendous.
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When Mozart admires your work as he did Handel , That speaks for itself... Enough said ..
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Nothing beats the classical unearthly music of such composers. Spine tingling ....soul searing....life affirming
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Perhaps the best performance I've heard, and I've heard many. On a acale of one to ten, I give this twenty. Hopefully these musicians can perform at King Charles coronation.
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Handel's music is just so thrilling.
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This is incredible we will probably hear this in May with Charles coronation
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So, the backstory--such that I've been able to reconstruct it--is that Handel, having lived there for a while, had wanted to become a Brit, and as George II took the helm, well in advance of his coronation, he granted Handel British citizenship. In gratitude, Handel wrote this coronation anthem, which has been used for such ever since.
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I honestly had no idea how much the music of Handel had meant to me over the years. This performance reawakened my love for his work. Thank you so much for sharing this DW
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This song and it being a bank holiday, really made a special a weekend in my garden. The black birds are still singing, relentless.
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I am surprised that I have tears listening to this. It’s so dramatic, majestic, spiritual … holy cow. I can’t wait to hear this during King Charles’ coronation.
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Splendid music, and a church to match. Thank you so, so much.
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This piece of music is so magnificent, so spiritually inspired that my heart melts and I stand in awe and adoration before the Almighty God, holding my breath for a while, not even noticing it! Thank you DW for sharing!!!❤
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In this masterpiece it were based on to create the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE anthem. Awesome!!!
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I sang this at our National Symphony Hall last month with a huge massed choir, and what can I say! No audio or video can ever truly capture the sheer magnificence of listening to this masterpiece in real life. Especially hearing every voice and the whole orchestra sing in tutti after the long introduction at 1:51 in setting is so breathtaking! 😍 One of my favorite choral works ever, would highly recommend experiencing the real thing! :
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The only thing better would have been to hear this performance live.
