Handel: Samson / Leppard, Baker, Watts, Tear, Luxon

Acte I 1-1 Sinfonia 8:38 Scene 1 1-2 Samson (Rec.): «This Day, A Solemn Feast» 0:37 1-3 Chorus Of Philistines: «Awake The Trumpet's Lofty Sound» 2:13 1-4 Dalila (Air): «Ye Men Of Gaza» 3:43 1-5 Chorus Of Philistines: «Awake The Trumpet's Lofty Sound» 0:35 1-6 Samson (Air): «Loud As The Thunder's Awful Voice» 3:04 1-7 Dalila (Air): «Then Free From Sorrow» 2:48 1-8 Chorus Of Philistines: «Awake The Trumpet's Lofty Sound» 0:33 1-9 Samson (Rec.): «Why By An Angel» 1:09 1-10 Samson (Air): «Torments, Alas! Are Not Confin'd» 3:35 Scene 2 1-11 Micah (Rec.): «Oh Change Beyond Report» 0:55 1-12 Micah (Air): «Oh Mirror Of Our Fickle State» 3:46 1-13 Samson (Rec.): «Whom Have I To Complain Of» - Micah (Rec.): «Matchless In Might!» - Samson (Rec.): «Welcome, My Friends» - Micah (Rec.): «Which Shall We First Bewail» - Samson (Rec.): «Oh Loss Of Sight!» 2:22 1-14 Samson (Air): «Total Eclipse» 3:53 1-15 Micah (Air): «Since Light So Neccessary» 1:25 1-16 Chorus Of Israelites: «Of First Created Beam» 4:08 1-17 Samson (Rec.): «Ye See, My Friends» - Micah (Rec.): «The Wisest Men Have Err'd» - Samson (Rec.): «Oh That I Had» 1:40 Scene 3 1-18 Manoa (Rec.): «Brethren And Men Of Dan» - Manoa (Rec.): «Oh Miserable Change» - Israelitish Man (Air): «Oh Ever Failing Trust» 1:54 1-19 Israelitish Man (Air): «God Of Our Fathers» 2:30 1-20 Manoa (Rec.): «The Good We Wish For» 1:13 1-21 Manoa (Air): «The Glorious Deeds Inspir'd» 4:48 1-22 Samson (Rec.): «Justly These Evils Have Befall'n» - Manoa (Rec.): «Worse Yet Reamins» - Samson (Rec.): This Have I Done» 1:35 1-23 Samson (Air): «My Griefs For This» 1:11 1-24 Samson (Air): «Why Does The God Of Israel Sleep» 5:16 1-25 Micah (Rec.): «There Lies Our Hope» 0:23 1-26 Chorus Of Israelites: «Then Shall They Know» 2:25 2-1 Manoa (Rec.): «For Thee My Dearest Son - Samson (Rec.): «It Should Be So - To Expiate My Crime» - Manoa (Rec.): «Be For Thy Fate Contrite» - Samson (Rec.): «Why Should I Live» 2:54 2-2 Micah (Air): «Then Long Eternity Shall Greet You Bliss» 2:04 2-3 Micah (Air): «Joys That Are Pure» 3:09 2-4 Chorus Of Israelites: «Then Round About The Starry Throne» 2:14 Acte II Scene 1 2-5 Manoa (Rec.): «Despair Not Thus!» - Samson (Rec.): «Where'er The Liquid Brool Or Fountain Flow'd» 1:19 2-6 Manoa (Air): «Just Are The Way Of God To Man» - Manoa (Rec.): «Trust Yet In God» 3:53 2-7 Samson (Rec.): «My Evils Hopeless Are» - Micah (Rec.): «Relieve Thy Champion» 0:45 2-8 Micah (Air): «Return, Oh God Of Hosts» 4:47 2-9 Chorus Of Israelites: «To Dust His Glory They Would Tread» 3:32 Scene 2 2-10 Manoa (Rec.): «But Who Is This» - Samson (Air): «My Wife? My Traitress!» - Micah (Air): «She Stands, And Eyes Thee Fixed» - Dalila (Air): «With Doubtful Feet» - Samson (Air): «Out Thou Hyæna!» - Dalila (Air): «I Would Not Lessen My Offense» - Samson (Rec.): «How Cunningly The Sorceress Displays» 3:00 2-11 Dalila (Air): «With Plaintive Notes» 7:37 2-12 Samson (Air): «Did Love Constrain Thee» 0:49 2-13 Samson (Air): «Your Charms To Ruin Led The Way» 3:09 2-14 Dalila (Rec.): «Forgive What's Done» 0:34 2-15 Dalila/Virgin (Duet): «My Faith And Truth» - «Her Faith And Truth» 4:35 2-16 Chorus Of Virgins: «Her Faith And Truth» 1:12 2-17 Dalila (Air) 1.Str.: «To Fleeting Pleasures Make Your Court» 1:49 2-18 Chorus Of Virgins: «Her Faith And Truth» 1:12 2-19 Dalila (Air) 2.Str.: «How Charming Is Domestic Ease» 1:47 2-20 Chorus Of Virgins: «Her Faith And Truth» 1:13 2-21 Samson (Rec.): «Ne'er Think Of That» - Dalila (Rec.): «Let Me Approach» - Samson (Rec.): «Not For Thy Life» - Dalila (Rec.): «Thou Art More Deaf To Pray'rs Than Winds Or Seas» 1:32 2-22 Dalila/Samson (Duet): «Traitor To Love! I'll Sue No More» - «Traitress To Love! I'll Hear No More...» 1:26 Scene 3 2-23 Israelit (Air): «It Is Not Virtue» 5:08 2-24 Samson (Rec.): «Favour'd Of Heaven Is He» 0:19 2-25 Chorus Of Israelites: «To Man God's Universal Law» 3:09 Scene 4 2-26 Micah (Rec.): «No Words Of Peace» - Harapha (Rec.): «I Come Not, Samson» - Samson (Rec.): «The Way To Know» - Harapha (Rec.): «Ha! Dost Thou Then Already Single Me» - Samson (Rec.): «Boast Not Of What Thou Would'st Of Have Done»- Harapha (Rec.): «The Honour Certain To Have Won From The» 1:55 2-27 Harapha (Air): «Honour And Arms Scorn Such A Foe» 6:12 3-1 Samson (Air): «Put On Your Arms» - Samson (Air): «My Strength Is From The Living God» 3:06 3-2 Harapha (Rec.): «With Thee!» - Samson (Rec.): «Cam'st Thou For This» 0:46 3-3 Samson/Virgin (Duet): «Go, Baffled Coward, Go» - «Presume Not On Thy God» 2:37 3-4 Micah (Rec.): «Here Lies The Proof» 0:51 3-5 Chorus Of Israelites: «Hear, Jacob's God» 2:57 3-6 Harapha (Rec.): «Dagon, Arise» 0:18 3-7 A Philistine (Air): «To Song And Dance We Give The Day» 4:19 3-8 Chorus Of Philistines: «To Song And Dance» 2:18 3-9 Double Chorus Of Israelites And Philistines: «Fix'd In His Everlasting Seat» 2:57 Acte III Scene 1 3-10 Micah (Rec.): «More Trouble Is Behind» - Samson (Rec.): «I Fear Him Not»- Harapha (Rec.): «Samson, To Thee Our Lords» - Samson (Rec.): «I Am An Hebrew» - Harapha (Rec.): «This Answer Will Offend» - Samson (Rec.): «Myself!» - Harapha (Rec.): «My Message, Given With Speed» 1:15 3-11 Harapha (Air): «Presuming Slave» 2:42 3-12 Micah (Rec.): «Reflect Then, Samson» - Samson (Rec.): «Shall I Abuse» 0:45 3-13 Chorus Of Israelites: «With Thunder Arm'd» 3:19 3-14 Samson (Rec.): «Be Of Good Courage» 2:41 3-15 Samson (Air): «Thus When The Sun From's Wat'ry Bed» 4:22 3-16 Micah (Rec.): «With Might Endued» 0:41 3-17 Micah (Air): «The Holy One Of Israel Be Thy Guide» - Chorus Of Israelites: «To Fame Immortal Go» 2:44 Scene 2 3-18 Micah (Rec.): «Old Manoa, With Youthful Steps» - Manoa (Rec.): «I Come, My Brethren» 0:26 3-19 A Philistine (Air): «Great Dagon Has Subdued Our Foe» - Chorus Of Philistines: «Great Dagon Has Subdued Our Foe» 3:50 3-20 Manoa (Rec.): «What Noise Of Joy Was That» 0:49 3-21 Manoa (Air): «How Willing My Paternal Love» 3:34 3-22 Micah (Rec.): «Your Hopes Of His Deliv'ry» - Manoa (Rec.): «I Know Your Friendly Mind, And Heav'n! What Noise!» - Chorus Of Philistines: «Hear Us, Our God» 1:49 3-23 Micah (Rec.): «Noise Call You This» - Manoa (Rec.): «Ruin Indeed» - Micah (Rec.): «Thy Son Is Rather Slaying Them...» 1:58 Scene 3 3-24 Micah (Air): «Ye Sons Of Israel, Now Lament» - Chorus Of Israelites: «Weep, Israel, Weep» 5:46 3-25 Manoa (Rec.): «Proceed We Hence» 0:51 3-26 Dead March 2:48 3-27 Micah (Rec.): «The Body Comes» 0:59 3-28 Chorus Of Israelites: «Glorious Hero» 5:10 3-29 Manoa (Rec.): «Come, Come! No Time For Lamentaion» 1:03 3-30 Israelitish Woman (Air): «Let The Bright Seraphim» 3:31 3-31 Chorus Of Israelites: «Let Their Celstial Concerts All Unite» 3:34 Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Erato Disques S.A. Alto Vocals [Micah] – Helen Watts Bass Vocals [Harapha] – Benjamin Luxon Bass Vocals [Manoa] – John Shirley-Quirk Choir – London Voices Chorus Master – Terry Edwards (2) Composed By – George Frideric Handel* Conductor – Raymond Leppard Engineer – Pierre Lavoix Libretto By – Newburgh Hamilton Mastered By – Bill Kipper Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra Soprano Vocals [Dalila] – Janet Baker Soprano Vocals [Israelitish Woman] – Felicity Lott Soprano Vocals [Philistine Woman] – Norma Burrowes Tenor Vocals [Israelitish Man] – Alexander Oliver Tenor Vocals [Philistine] – Philip Langridge Tenor Vocals [Samson] – Robert Tear Total Time: 3h 32 CD1: 1h 06, CD2: 1h 12, CD3: 1h 13 Recorded in October 1978 at the Henry Wood Hall, London. Made in Germany