Athalia (Handel) facts for kids
Athalia is an exciting musical story, or an oratorio, created by the famous composer George Frideric Handel. It's like a play told through music, but without costumes or sets. The story is based on an old play by Jean Racine and tells the tale of a powerful queen named Athaliah from the Bible.
Handel wrote Athalia in 1733 for a special event at the University of Oxford in England. It was first performed on July 10, 1733, at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. People loved it! One newspaper said it was performed "with the utmost Applause" and that 3,700 people came to watch. Later, it was also performed in London in 1735.
Contents
Who's Who in Athalia?
Here are the main characters in Athalia:
| Role | Voice Type | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Athalia | soprano (high female voice) | The queen who rules Judah. She worships a false god called Baal. |
| Josabeth | soprano (high female voice) | The wife of the High Priest Joad. She is kind and brave. |
| Joas | boy soprano (high boy's voice) | The rightful young king, hidden away. |
| Joad | alto (low male voice) | The High Priest, who leads the Jewish people. |
| Mathan | tenor (high male voice) | A priest of Baal, who used to be a Jewish priest. |
| Abner | bass (low male voice) | The captain of the Jewish army, loyal to the true God. |
| Chorus of Young Virgins | Young women who sing together. | |
| Chorus of Israelites | The Jewish people who sing together. | |
| Chorus of Priests and Levites | Religious leaders who sing together. | |
| Chorus of Attendants | Servants who sing together. | |
| Chorus of Sidonian Priests | Priests of Baal who sing together. |
What's the Story About?
The story of Athalia is full of drama and suspense! Queen Athaliah was married to the King of Judah. After he died, she wanted to get rid of all the rightful heirs to the throne, who were descendants of King David. She thought she had killed them all. Athaliah then took over as queen and tried to make everyone in Judah worship Baal, a false god, instead of the God of Israel.
But there was a secret! A young boy named Joas, who was the true heir to the throne, had been saved. The High Priest Joad and his wife Josabeth rescued him and raised him as their own son, calling him "Eliakim."
Act 1: A Queen's Bad Dream
The story begins in the Jewish Temple during a special festival. The Jewish people are praying to God. The High Priest Joad is sad because Queen Athaliah is forcing everyone to worship Baal. Everyone prays for freedom from her unfair rule.
Meanwhile, at the palace, Queen Athaliah is very worried. She had a scary dream about a young boy dressed as a Jewish priest who stabbed her heart with a dagger. Mathan, the high priest of Baal, tries to calm her down, saying it was just a dream. He suggests she send guards to search the Temple.
Abner, the captain of the guards, who is loyal to the God of Israel, quickly goes to the Temple to warn Joad about the search. Just then, Joad and Josabeth are getting ready to tell everyone that "Eliakim" is actually Joas, the true king! Josabeth is scared, but Joad tells her to trust in God.
Act 2: The Boy and the Queen
The Jewish people in the Temple sing wonderful songs praising God. Athaliah arrives and is shocked. The boy "Eliakim" looks exactly like the child from her dream! She questions him, and when he says he's an orphan, she offers to adopt him. But Joas refuses, saying he would never be close to someone who worships false gods.
Athaliah gets very angry and leaves, vowing to take the child no matter what. Josabeth is almost in despair again, but Joad reminds her to trust God. The people in the chorus sing that bad people will surely be punished.
Act 3: The True King Revealed
Joad, feeling inspired by God, predicts that Athaliah will fall from power. He and Josabeth then explain to "Eliakim" that he is truly Joas, the rightful King. They crown him, and the people cheer loudly.
Athaliah enters, demanding that the boy be given to her. When she learns that he has been crowned king, she orders her soldiers to stop this "treason." But her soldiers have all left her side! Even Mathan, the High Priest of Baal, admits that the God of Israel has won. Athaliah knows she is defeated, but she still declares she will seek revenge even after she dies. Everyone then praises the true King and the true God.
What's the Message?
The story of Athaliah, where a bad ruler is removed from power, was very important in Handel's time. Some people saw it as a way to talk about politics without directly saying so. In Oxford, where the oratorio was first performed, some people supported the idea of bringing back the old royal family (the Stuarts).
However, the story in Athalia also strongly focuses on getting rid of "idolatry," which means worshipping false gods. This part of the story supported the current Protestant rulers (the Hanoverians) in England. So, Handel chose a story that could appeal to different groups of people without causing trouble for his royal supporters. It was a clever way to tell a story about good triumphing over evil and true faith winning against false worship.
The Music of Athalia
Athalia is an oratorio, which is a large musical work for singers and an orchestra, usually based on a religious story. It's like a concert version of an opera.
Handel used many instruments for Athalia, including strings (like violins and cellos), recorders (like flutes), oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, and timpani (drums). He was very creative in how he combined the solo singers with the chorus (the group of singers). This made the characters feel very real through their music, which helped make the first performance a huge success!
See also
- List of oratorios by George Frideric Handel
