The English Concert

Ann Hallenberg (Solomon), mezzo-soprano
Miah Persson (Solomon’s Queen and First Harlot), soprano
Elena Villalón (Nicaule, Queen of Sheba), soprano
Brandon Cedel (Levite), bass-baritone
James Way (Zadok), tenor
Niamh O’Sullivan (Second Harlot), mezzo-soprano

Britain’s eminent early-music ensemble returns to Berkeley to perform Handel’s Solomon (1748), a glorious work based on Biblical stories of the great king’s wisdom and justice and the ushering-in of a golden age of peace, piety, and prosperity. Among the composer’s many brilliant English oratorios, Solomon stands out as an especially jubilant and sumptuous work, featuring a double chorus, stunning arias such as “Will the sun forget to streak,” and gorgeous orchestrations like the sprightly oboe-and-strings feature, “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” The Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg, a beloved Baroque music diva, sings the title role. “Hallenberg’s exceptionally wide-ranging, ruby-color mezzo, with its serene legato and jaw-dropping coloratura, has inevitably made her a go-to artist” (The New York Times).

This performance is made possible, in part, by Bernice Greene, The Estate of Ross E. Armstrong, and an anonymous Patron Sponsor.

Run time for this performance is approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes with two intermissions.