GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
   
 Samson 204:55  
  COMPACT DISC ONE  
  Scene 1  
1 1 Overture 7:46
  Andante - Adagio - Allegro - Menuetto  
2 2 Recitative: Samson 0:32
  This day, a solemn feast…  
3 3 Chorus of Philistines 1:54
  Awake the trumpet's lofty…  
4 4 Air: Philistine Woman 3:51
  Ye men of Gaza, hither…  
5 5 Chorus of Philistines 0:29
  Awake the trumpet's lofty…  
6 6 Air: Philistine Man 3:07
  Loud as the thunder's awful…  
7 7 Air: Philistine Woman 2:34
  Then free from sorrow, free…  
8 5 Recitative: Samson 0:28
  Awake the trumpet's lofty…  
9 8 Recitative: Samson 0:52
  Why by an angel was…  
10 9 Air: Samson 3:56
  Torments alas! are not…  
   
  Scene 2  
11 10 Recitative: Micah (apart) 0:56
  O change beyond report, thought,…  
12 11 Air: Micah 2:44
  O mirror of our fickle…  
13 12 Recitative: Samson (apart) 2:36
  Whom have I to complain…  
14 13A Air: Samson 3:29
  Total eclipse! No sun, no…  
15 13B Recitative: Micah 1:12
  Since light so necessary is…  
16 14 Chorus of Israelites 3:34
  Oh first created beam!…  
17 15 Recitative: Samson 1:59
  Ye see, my friends, how…  
   
  Scene 3  
18 16 Recitative: Manoa 0:33
  Brethren and men of Dan, say,…  
19 17 Recitative: Manoa 0:44
  Oh miserable change! Is this…  
20 18 Recitative: Israelite Man 0:15
  Oh ever failing trust in…  
21 19 Air: Israelite Man 3:00
  God of our father, what…  
22 20 Recitative: Manoa 1:04
  The good we wish for,…  
23 21 Air: Manoa 4:35
  Thy glorious deeds…  
24 22 Recitative: Samson 1:35
  Justly these evils have…  
25 23 Recitative: Samson 0:54
  My griefs for this…  
26 24 Air: Samson 4:34
  Why does the God of…  
27 25 Recitative: Micah 0:21
  There lies our hope!…  
28 26 Chorus 2:19
  Then shall they know,…  
29 27 Recitative: Manoa 2:56
  For thee, my dearest son,…  
  No. 28 Recitative: Samson  
  My genial spirits droop,…  
30 29 Air: Micah 5:26
  Then long eternity shall…  
31 30 Chorus of Israelites 2:09
  Then round about the…  
  COMPACT DISC TWO  
  Act Two  
1 31 Recitative: Manoa 1:25
  Despair not thus!…  
2 32 Air: Manoa 3:26
  Just are the ways of…  
3 33 Recitative: Samson 0:46
  My evils hopeless are!…  
4 34 Air: Micah 8:39
  Return, oh God of hosts!…  
  No. 35 Chorus and Micah  
  To dust his glory they…  
   
  Scene 2  
5 36 Recitative: Micah 3:15
  But who is this, that so…  
6 37 Air: Dalila 7:06
  With plaintive notes and…  
7 38 Recitative: Dalila 0:54
  Alas! Th'event was worse…  
8 39 Air: Samson 3:36
  Your charms to ruin led the…  
9 40 Recitative: Dalila 0:30
  Forgive what's done, nor…  
10 41 Duet: Dalila and Virgin 6:14
  My faith and truth, oh…  
  No. 42 Chorus of Virgins  
  Her faith and truth, oh…  
11 43 Air: Dalila 4:53
  To fleeting pleasures make…  
  No. 42 Chorus of Virgins  
  Her faith and truth, oh…  
  No. 43 Air: Dalila  
  How charming is domestic…  
  No. 42 Chorus of Virgins  
  Her faith and truth, oh…  
12 44 Recitative: Samson 1:27
  Ne'er think of that!…  
13 45 Duet: Dalila and Samson 1:57
  Traitor to love!…  
   
  Scene 3  
  No. 46 Recitative: Micah  
  She's gone! A serpent…  
14 47 Air: Micah 4:12
  It is not virtue, valour,…  
15 48 Recitative: Samson 0:22
  Favor'd of Heaven is he,…  
16 49 Chorus 2:31
  To man God's universal…  
   
  Scene 4  
17 50 Recitative: Micah 1:38
  No words of peace, no voice…  
18 51 Air: Harapha 5:40
  Honour and arms scorn…  
19 52 Recitative: Samson 0:10
  Put on your arms,…  
20 53 Air: Samson 2:53
  My strength is from the…  
21 54 Recitative: Harapha 0:41
  With thee! A man condemn'd,…  
22 55 Duet: Samson and Harapha 2:16
  Go, Baffled coward, go,…  
23 56 Recitative: Micah 0:46
  Here lie the proof:…  
24 57 Chorus of Israelites 3:14
  Hear, Jacob's God,…  
25 58 Recitative: Harapha 0:54
  Dagon, arise! Attend thy…  
26 59A Air: Philistine Man 4:34
  To song and dance we…  
27 59B Chorus of Philistines 1:57
  To song and dance we…  
28 60 Chorus of Israelites and Virgins 3:03
  Fix'd in his everlasting…  
  COMPACT DISC THREE  
  Act Three  
1 61 Recitative: Micah 1:23
  More trouble is behind,…  
2 62 Air: Harapha 3:01
  Presuming slave, to move…  
3 63 Recitative: Micah 0:50
  Reflect then, Samson, matters…  
4 64 Chorus of Israelites 2:55
  With thunder arm'd great…  
5 65 Recitative: Samson 2:23
  Be of good courage;…  
6 66 Air: Samson 3:54
  Thus when the sun from…  
7 67 Recitative: Micah 0:25
  With might endued above…  
8 68 Air: Micah 2:22
  The Holy One of Israel be…  
  No. 69 Chorus of Israelites  
  To fame immortal go,…  
   
  Scene 2  
9 70 Recitative: Micah 0:26
  Old Manoa, with youthful…  
10 71 Air: Philistine Man (at a distance) 4:28
  Great Dagon has subdued our…  
  No. 72 Chorus of Philistines (at a distance)  
  Great Dagon has subdued…  
11 73 Recitative: Manoa 0:47
  What noise of joy was…  
12 74 Air: Manoa 3:36
  How willing my paternal love…  
13 75 Recitative: Micah 1:57
  Your hopes of his deliv'ry…  
  No. 76 Sinfonia  
  No. 77 Recitative: Manoa  
  Heav'! What noise!…  
  No. 78 Chorus of Philistines (at a distance)  
  Hear us, or God! Oh…  
14 79 Recitative: Micah 0:40
  Noise call you this?…  
   
  Scene 3  
15 80 Recitative: Messenger 3:49
  Whre shall I run, or…  
16 81 Air: Micah 3:20
  Ye sons of Israel,…  
  No. 82 Chorus of Israelites  
  Weep Israel, weep a louder…  
17 83 Recitative: Manoa 0:46
  Proceed we hence to find…  
18 84 Dead March 3:06
19 85 Recitative and Air: Micah 1:10
  The body comes; we'll…  
20 86 Chorus of Israelites and Israelite 5:12
  Glorious Hero, may thy…  
21 87 Recitative: Manoa 1:02
  Come, come! No time for…  
22 88 Air: Israelite Woman 2:16
  Let the bright Seraphim…  
  No. 89 Chorus of Israelites  
  Let the bright Seraphim…  
 Thomas Randle tenor - Samson
 Mark Padmore tenor - Israelite Man, Philistine Man
 Lynda Russell soprano - Dalila
 Lynne Dawson soprano - Israelite Woman, Philistine Woman
 Catherine Wyn-Rogers alto - Micah
 Matthew Vine tenor - Messenger
 Michael George bass - Manoa
 Jonathan Best bass - Harapha
 Harry Christophers