Files "cleaned" originally

G F Handel

Esther

This page is Scenes 1 to 3.
Scenes 4 to 6 are on the next page

You can freely and lawfully download a printable score for this Work from IMSLP - the Petrucci Music Library - though it may not be exactly the same as the one used to make the Midi Files below, and it probably won't be as good as a proper paid-for engraved and printed score.

There seem to be two "Esther" Scores - a short one, Esther 1, dated 1720, which appears originally to have been a Masque called "Haman and Mordecai", and is in IMSLP here, and a very much longer, and completely different, one called simply Esther 2, and dated 1732, which is in IMSLP here (at the bottom of the latter IMSLP Page there are wrongly - ??? - listed the Sections from the shorter version!!!). The Midi Files below have been made using a short Score much like the IMSLP short Score - this seems to be not unlike the Barenreiter and Novello Scores..

There is an excellent performance of this Work by the Academy of Ancient Music / Christopher Hogwood on YouTube starting here.

Here is a "clickable" Table of the available Midi Files for this Work:-

Esther
UNemphasized Soprano  Alto  Tenor 1 Tenor 2  Bass 1 
 Sinfonia None None None None None
Scene 1

 1a: 'Tis greater far to spare than to destroy		 None None None None None
 1: Pluck root and branch from out the Land None None None None None
 2a: Our souls with ardour glow None None None None None
 2: Shall we the god of Israel fear? yes yes yes yes yes
Scene 2

 3a: Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod		 None None None None None
 3: Tune your harps to cheerful strains None None None None None
 4: Shall we of servitude complain yes yes yes yes yes
 5: Praise the Lord with cheerful noise None None None None None
 6a: O God, who from the suckling's mouth None None None None None
 6: Sing songs of praise, bow down the knee None None None None None
 4: (reprise) Shall we of servitude complain yes yes yes yes yes
Scene 3

 7a: How have our sins provok'd the Lord!		 None None None None None
 7: Me-thinks I hear the mothers' groans None None None None None
 8: Ye sons of Israel, mourn yes yes yes yes yes
 9: Shall we no more behold thee
glide the fertile vales along		 None None None None None
 8: (reprise) Ye sons of Israel, mourn yes yes yes yes yes

That's the end of Scenes 1 to 3. Scenes 4 to 6 are on the next page

And if something doesn't work properly, please let me know (see the "Comments" section of my Homepage).

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Files originally uploaded in May&Jun/15.