A shepherd boy with a slingshot, David by name, is the rising rock star, and Saul, his aging king, is going ballistic. Handel’s Biblical oratorio bristles with complex emotions demanding singing actors of the highest order. Barrie Kosky’s stage action, originally devised for Glyndebourne, involves a lot of clatter that fastidious ears will not appreciate. But the tortured psychology of the title character emerges with riveting immediacy, and his ungodly consultation with the (male) Witch of Endor held audiences spellbound. As at Glyndebourne, the mighty Christopher Purves stars. —M.G.
The Arts Intel Report
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
Saul, by George Frideric Handel
When
Jan 21–31, 2020
Where
“Saul,” performed at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2015, featuring solo organist James McVinnie. Photo: Bill Cooper.