Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2025 - Solomon

16 May 2025, 21:00

Handel’s Solomon (HWV 67) was the chosen oratorio at this year’s Göttingen International Handel Festival, which centred around the theme of laurels (Lorbeeren). George Petrou directed the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (FOG) for two performances of this oratorio; the first took place at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on 15 May 2025 and the second at Göttingen’s recently refurbished Stadthalle, on 16 May 2025. We travelled to the Elbphilharmonie, aptly for Hamburg, via a ferry on the river Elbe. It was fantastic to be reunited with old friends in the FOG; it is a great community and it was a privilege to listen to and perform with this orchestra once again.

It was great to be back in Göttingen as well, especially as I had to miss out on playing Handel’s Israel in Egypt last year. I have taken part in the festival on 8 occasions over the past 11 years. I was especially glad to be there this year because it has been a long-held ambition for me to perform Solomon, and particularly the chorus ‘Praise the Lord’ which features magnificent horn and trumpet parts alongside an epic double choir; on this occasion the NDR Vokalensemble, singing in surround sound. The soloists were: Lena Sutor-Wernich (Solomon), Carlotta Colombo (First Harlot), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Second Harlot & Queen of Sheba), James Way (Zadok), Armin Kolarczyk (Levite) and Isaak Lee (Attendant). I played first trumpet, with Will Russell on second and Lola Mlačnik on timpani, with Milo Maestri and Christopher Price on horn.

We had precious few days in Göttingen this year, but I did manage to hand deliver a voucher copy of my book, ‘Just’ Natural Trumpet, to the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; they were one of the many institutions that kindly provided one of the 134 images used in the book—and the last outstanding on my delivery list. It was wonderful to visit the library with Brian Berryman, a talented bilingual friend (and flautist in the FOG) who offered specialist help in deciphering and translating so many of the German sources while I was writing ‘Just’ Natural Trumpet.

I had to leave Göttingen immediately after the concert at the Stadthalle to get to Hanover for an early start the next morning; I would be joining Les Talens Lyriques for a 10am rehearsal in Paris before travelling to Italy with the group that evening. I had breakfast in Hanover, lunch and a rehearsal in Paris, and dinner in Milan before a concert at the Teatro alla Scala the following day.

Russell Gilmour

writing on music, photography, engraving, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.

Russell Gilmour's innovative new book, 'Just' Natural Trumpet, is now available: please click here for more information.