The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Georg Friedrich Handel's oratorio “Solomon” (HWV 67) was composed in 1748 and ranks among the composer's late masterworks. The brief sinfonia that opens the third act has established itself as a standalone concert piece and is among the best-known orchestral works of the Baroque era.

“The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” captivates with radiant lightness and irresistible melodic verve. Scored for two oboes and strings, the piece unfolds that sonic brilliance and elegance so characteristic of Handel's late output. The soloistically treated oboes engage in lively dialogue with the strings — a movement of festive cheerfulness and courtly dignity in equal measure, one that immediately evokes the magnificent entrance of a sovereign.

In terms of style, the work stands at the intersection of the late High Baroque and the galant tendencies beginning to emerge at mid-century. As a composer based in London, Handel blended English, German, and above all Italian influences with sovereign ease into an unmistakably personal style. It is precisely in this compact sinfonia that this synthesis reveals itself in its most concentrated form: virtuosic, lucid, and of undiminished musical radiance.