Bel­shazzar

It’s the perfect material for Herbert Fritsch, who’s happily back for another run. In his hands, the story of King Belshazzar is transformed, with Handel’s oratorio becoming a wild dance. His unrestrained theatrical vision propels its characters through a tumult of psychological states—bluster and joy, love and hate, hope and hubris, horror and panic. Every emotional space finds its echo in Handel’s music. It’s from the finely woven textures of this baroque masterpiece that Fritsch extracts the motifs for his grotesque corporeal compositions. ‘Everything must be brought into a raging order’ wrote Antonin Artaud, offering a mantra that could likewise apply to this evening of Handel and Fritsch at the Komische Oper. Everyone’s on the edge of their seats—Fritsch included!

Belshazzar, on the other hand, looks forward to the feast with great joy. In the presence of the Jews who have been forced into exile, he announces a lavish banquet; as the height of blasphemy, he plans to drink wine from the sacred vessels that his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar once plundered from Jerusalem. Nitocris tries in vain to warn her son against desecrating the relics. Intoxicated by wine and lost in the praise of his idols, King Belshazzar de es the God of Israel. The answer comes immediately: a ghostly hand appears and writes flaming, incomprehensible characters on the wall.

The king promises power and wealth to whoever can interpret the writing. The prophet Daniel is summoned and reveals to Belshazzar God’s devastating judgement: The days of his reign are numbered; he has been weighed and found wanting; and his kingdom will be divided among the Medes and Persians. Nitocris senses the impending disaster, though Daniel is unable to o er her any comfort: There is no hope of Belshazzar’s repentance.

Cyrus, Gobryas and the army storm the palace, while the Jews sing of the fall of the Babylonian gods. In the ensuing battle, Belshazzar falls, thus fulfilling the prophecy. As the victor, Cyrus proclaims the God of Israel as the one and only God and promises the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.