Handel: Belshazzar(2011)

Handel: Belshazzar is a concert film capturing René Jacobs' masterful direction of the RIAS-Kammerchor and Akademie für Alte Musik performing this 1745 oratorio. Based on Charles Jennens' libretto drawn from the Book of Daniel, the work recounts Babylon's fall to Persian prince Cyrus, whose invasion ends Belshazzar's tyrannical rule. Standing alongside Messiah as one of Handel's greatest achievements in the genre, Belshazzar explores themes of power and divine judgment with enduring relevance. The stellar cast features countertenor Bejun Mehta, a rising voice in international opera and concert performance, alongside other accomplished soloists. Jacobs brings theatrical spectacle and musical precision to this baroque masterpiece, delivering a performance that honors both the grandeur of Handel's composition and the dramatic weight of its biblical narrative.