Omen!
Belshazzar
George Frideric Handel
The ruling strongman is back—the kind of man who wipes the slate clean, knocks things over, takes action, and grabs what he wants, all while feeling magnificent, youthful, and cheerfully destructive. King Belshazzar was one such figure, a despotic ruler from biblical times...
During a bacchanalian royal banquet, King Belshazzar taunts the Jewish god Jehovah and declares, ‘I am the King of Babylon!’ But at midnight, mysterious writing appears on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. No one can interpret it. The wise Queen Mother wants to consult the Jewish prophet Daniel. Once summoned, he reveals the meaning. MENE: the God you’ve blasphemed has numbered your days and will bring them to an end. TEKEL: you’ve been weighed and found wanting. UPHARSIN: your kingdom will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. The oratorio ends with the prophecy fulfilled: the death of the tyrant king and the joyful deliverance of both Babylonians and Jews from his rule.
During a bacchanalian royal banquet, King Belshazzar taunts the Jewish god Jehovah and declares, ‘I am the King of Babylon!’ But at midnight, mysterious writing appears on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. No one can interpret it. The wise Queen Mother wants to consult the Jewish prophet Daniel. Once summoned, he reveals the meaning. MENE: the God you’ve blasphemed has numbered your days and will bring them to an end. TEKEL: you’ve been weighed and found wanting. UPHARSIN: your kingdom will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. The oratorio ends with the prophecy fulfilled: the death of the tyrant king and the joyful deliverance of both Babylonians and Jews from his rule.
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!
While the city of Babylon is under siege by the Medo-Persian army, a mother laments the fate of her son—Queen Nitocris foresees the impending downfall of the Babylonian Empire, whose de ning traits are embodied by her son Belshazzar: vanity, corruption, faithlessness and oppression.
The Assyrian nobleman Gobryas has been consumed by a thirst for vengeance ever since Belshazzar murdered his son, and he is determined to exact retribution. Together with Cyrus, the leader of the Persian army, he devises plans to liberate Babylon from Belshazzar’s rule and bring about a change in power. With the festival of Sesach, the Babylonian god of wine, approaching, the perfect opportunity for a stratagem presents itself: the Euphrates is to be diverted so that it may flood the city on the day of the festival. The Jewish prophet Daniel welcomes these plans, for according to the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the downfall of Babylon is near, which would also mean the liberation of the Jewish people.
The Assyrian nobleman Gobryas has been consumed by a thirst for vengeance ever since Belshazzar murdered his son, and he is determined to exact retribution. Together with Cyrus, the leader of the Persian army, he devises plans to liberate Babylon from Belshazzar’s rule and bring about a change in power. With the festival of Sesach, the Babylonian god of wine, approaching, the perfect opportunity for a stratagem presents itself: the Euphrates is to be diverted so that it may flood the city on the day of the festival. The Jewish prophet Daniel welcomes these plans, for according to the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the downfall of Babylon is near, which would also mean the liberation of the Jewish people.
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.
Oratorio in three acts [1745]
Libretto by Charles Jennens, based on Biblical texts
Libretto by Charles Jennens, based on Biblical texts
Premiere on March 28, 2026
Recommended from grade 7
English
3 hr incl. intermission