Handel’s 1748 oratorio, Joshua, has taken a back seat to Theodora, Samson, Saul, and Hercules, mostly because it simply is not as dramatic and the characters lack depth. In other words, it’s not as good. Composed, along with Alexander Balus, The Occasional Oratorio, and Judas Maccabeus to allegorize the victory of the House of Hanover over the Catholic pretender, it is militaristic: we are supposed to care about Joshua’s leadership of the Israelites in conquering the Promised Land.
We get the falling of the walls of Jericho, accompanied by remarkable trumpets and timpani, but the oratorio continues with another battle, one in which Joshua (tenor), with God’s help, stops the sun and moon so that the Israelites can fight a longer day and be victorious. There’s also a thoroughly unnecessary (although it does allow for a fine aria or two and duet) love interest between Achsah (soprano), the daughter of the wise old warrior, Caleb (baritone), and Othniel, a young, valiant soldier who wins the final battle against the city of Debir. Oh, and an Angel who tells the Israelites to go to war. It might be fun as an opera, special effects and all, but then again, probably not. And it doesn’t help that Joshua sings for only about two minutes in the last act–talk about a poorly constructed libretto.
But it does contain music that is distinctly Handelian, much of it fine if not top-notch. He was, after all, an opera composer, and the lack of drama in librettist Thomas Morrell’s characters keeps his fires smouldering, rather than burning. Of course the chorus “See, the conqu’ring hero”, later put into Judas Maccabeus, is here, as is “Oh, had I Jubal’s lyre”; Achsah’s “Hark, ‘tis the linnet and the thrush” with its pair of flutes is lovely, Joshua’s “Haste, Israel, haste” excites with its energy and wild melismas, Caleb’s aria “See the raging flames arise”, sung after Jericho falls, is a stunner, and his “Shall I in Mamre’s fertile plain” is a lesson in legato singing. And some of the choruses can raise the blood.
The finest singing comes from the Caleb of Tobias Berndt who studied with both Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Thomas Quasthoff; his voice is a rich, dark-hued instrument and his diction is excellent for a non-native speaker. Next is the gloriously sung Joshua of tenor Kenneth Tarver, diction, rhythm, and pitch absolutely perfect; he manages to wring as much majesty out of the role as Handel and Morrell allow. Anna Dennis is a lovely Achsah (who does not erase memories of Emma Kirkby with Robert King on a hard-to-find recording from Hyperion). Downhill is the mumbling mezzo Renata Pokupic as Othniel, who loses the pitch below the staff, and Joachim Duske, the kind of angel you hope never visits you.
The stars are the NDR choir, who put not a foot wrong, singing with clarity and clarity of purpose, at all dynamic ranges. The performance was recorded live, which may explain some tentative playing from the brass in the “Glory to God” chorus at the start of Act 2, but for the most part the orchestra does itself proud, and the brass are forgiven in their brief military fanfares. Laurence Cummings, who has recorded this oratorio live before (on Somm), is not a Handelian who believes in much vocal embellishment, and that’s a pity–this work could use some pepping up. It’s a good performance of medium-Handel; first choice is Robert King’s 22-year-old performance.
