After the patriotic ‘victory oratorios’, the oratorio 'Susanna' marks a turning point in Handel’s composition. This Old Testament narrative is a popular motif in the domain of art history. Many a portrayal exists of the steadfast Susanna being watched – unbeknown to her – by two lusting elders as she bathes. Likewise, the scene of the supposed adulteress appearing before the judges who sentence her to death inspired painters such as Rembrandt, Giorgione, Gentileschi and Corinth. In adopting this as his subject, Handel chose a heroine who is neither a queen nor a prophet.

The piquant account from the Book of Daniel drew from him magnificent inventiveness in the music, which also includes passages in the lighter vein characteristic of the English ‘ballad opera’ popular at the time. Susanna’s virtue, however, is extolled in monumental choruses.

The present live recording is a production of the 2016 International Handel Festival in Göttingen, highly praised by the critics at their performances in Göttingen, Berlin, and Wroclaw. Laurence Cummings, the Festival's Artistic Director, a renowned Händel specialist, stands at the helm of the Göttingen Festival Orchestra, aided by an excellent vocal cast and the NDR Choir.