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George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
Entrance of the Queen of Sheeba (from Solomon)
As early as 1696, Handel proved himself to be proficient on the violin, the keyboard, and the oboe. He studied counterpoint with Zachow, the organist at Liebfrauenkirche in Halle (Handel's hometown). The gifted young musician dedicated himself to his compositional studies and acquired solid counterpoint skills. While he copied the compositions of both Italian and German masters, Handel became especially drawn to the facile style of Italian counterpoint.
The Entrance of the Queen of Sheeba from the Introduction to Act III from the oratorio Solomon (1748) clearly demonstrates Handel's appreciation for the Italian style. First the violins and the oboes are featured as the primary soloists. This is not difficult to understand considering Handel's personal expertise on both instruments. The opening of the piece delivers a joyous concerto grosso like declamation that is reminiscent of the style of Vivaldi or Corelli. An energetic rhythmic passage is initially heard as a unison configuration in the violins, and later, another section features the oboes.
-- program notes by Laurien Jones