Handel’s ‘Saul’ Oratorio: An Age-Old Story for Today

Handel’s ‘Saul’ Oratorio: An Age-Old Story for Today
"David Plays the Harp for Saul" by Rembrandt van Rijn.
Catherine Yang
Updated:

The story opens with triumph: David has just slain the monstrous Goliath and returns to a joyous chorus of harmonious praise. But things soon take a turn for the treacherous.

For King Saul sits in his tent and starts to seethe with jealousy as David continues to take center stage. It is this seed of envy that sets off a drama that ends in tragedy.