Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello] Cover Image

Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello]: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

$8.00 USD
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Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello] Cover Image
Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello]: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello]: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

By George Frideric Handel, ed./arr. by Friedrich Chrysander

Item: 36-A237801
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Samson, HWV 57: Overture [Score: Chrysander, Parts: Novello]: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

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Description
SAMSON, HWV 57, is an oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). When he composed it in the autumn of 1741, he had just finished work on The Messiah. The libretto, based on John Milton's Samson Agonistes, was written by Newburgh Hamilton. The work premiered at Covent Garden in London on February 18, 1743. It achieved so much acclaim that six more performances were presented that season. The Overture remains popular still for concert programming. Instrumentation: 0.2.0.0: 2.0.0.0: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Piano reduction included in score. The much improved score provided is from Friedrich Chrysander's edition published in 1861 as part of the Deutsche Händelgesellschaft, while the parts are from the Novello edition published ca. 1870.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-563475-6
ISBN13: 979-889-563-4752
UPC: 612735719555
SKU: 36-A237801
Instrumentation: 0.2.0.0: 2.0.0.0: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Piano reduction included in score

More about this title

About the Composer: George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a German-born composer who spent most of his career in London, where he became the dominant musical figure of the eighteenth century. He composed across nearly every genre of his era: operas, oratorios, concertos, suites, and ceremonial music, establishing himself as a master of both instrumental and vocal writing.

Handel's oratorios, composed primarily in the latter half of his life, represent his most enduring legacy in music education. Works like Samson, Messiah, and Israel in Egypt showcase his gift for dramatic storytelling through music, combining grand choral writing with soloistic brilliance. These oratorios remain central to the choral and orchestral repertoire taught in schools and universities worldwide.

Why we love this

The Samson Overture stands as one of Handel's most theatrically assured instrumental openings, and this edition gives you both the Chrysander score and Novello parts, making rehearsal and preparation straightforward for conductors working with period-aware orchestras or traditional ensembles alike. The piece demonstrates Handel's command of orchestral color and formal structure without requiring specialized expertise in historical performance practice, making it accessible to conductors and orchestras of varying backgrounds.

What to expect

The Overture opens with dignified French Overture grandeur before dissolving into a buoyant fugal section that showcases Handel's architectural gift for counterpoint and orchestral density. The piece balances ceremonial weight with genuine drama, moving between moments of rhetorical import and passages of pure contrapuntal joy.

Who it's for

Orchestra conductors preparing concert repertoire that bridges Baroque and classical sensibilities, as well as advanced student orchestras ready to engage with Handel's orchestral idiom. This score and parts set is ideal for educators seeking authentic source material from respected historical editions without the complications of working from facsimiles.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the two oboes carefully in the opening theme; they carry the principal melodic material and should cut through without forcing tone.
  • Shape the harmonic rhythm of the fugal sections with clear articulation in the string section to maintain transparency as voices enter.
  • Allow time for the keyboard continuo to breathe; the harpsichord or piano reduction supports harmony but need not rush harmonic movement.
  • Observe repeats as written to give the binary form its intended weight and architecture.

How to use it

Program this as a concert opener or as a compelling orchestral interlude within a larger classical or Baroque-focused concert. It works particularly well alongside other Handelian instrumental works (concerti grossi, water music selections) or as a thematic anchor when building programs around the oratorio tradition.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading Baroque orchestration and understanding period instrumentation (oboes, horns, continuo)
  • Conducting clear articulation in fugal texture while maintaining harmonic momentum
  • Balancing multiple melodic lines across the string section during polyphonic passages
  • Shaping binary form and recognizing da capo structures in instrumental music

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