Composition
Solomon (HWV 67, 1749) is Handel's most opulent and architecturally splendid oratorio, set in three acts depicting Solomon's dedication of the Temple, his judgment between the two mothers, and the Queen of Sheba's visit. The scoring is the richest of any Handel oratorio, with double choruses, elaborate orchestration, and some of his most extended and beautiful writing. The famous "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" sinfonia became one of the most frequently performed orchestral pieces in the Baroque repertoire independently of the oratorio.
Biblical Text
1 Kings 8:22-53 - Solomon's great prayer at the Temple dedication - provides the theological center of Part One: "Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive." The prayer presents the Temple not as God's residence but as a directional focus for prayer: God dwells in heaven, but the Temple is the place toward which his people turn. This spatial theology of prayer - present in Judaism's mizrah (orientation toward Jerusalem) and Islam's qibla (direction of Mecca) - originates here.
1 Kings 3:16-28 - the judgment of the two mothers - provides the famous demonstration of Solomonic wisdom. Handel sets the scene with a psychological acuity that matches the narrative: the false mother's willingness to accept division, the true mother's protective sacrifice, Solomon's instant recognition of the revelation each response constitutes.
Creator and Legacy
Solomon was commercially unsuccessful at its 1749 premiere and has been performed less frequently than the more dramatic oratorios. Its re-evaluation in the late 20th century, led by recordings conducted by John Eliot Gardiner and Charles Mackerras, established it as a masterpiece of a different kind from Messiah or Samson - celebratory rather than dramatic, architectural rather than narrative. The "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is now a standard of Baroque orchestral concerts worldwide.