| Number | Name | |
|---|---|---|
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0 | Introduction |
Prologue to the oratorio |
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1 | Overture |
The overture, introducing themes from the oratorio. |
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2 | A New King |
The King claims his throne. |
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3 | Chasing the Wind |
The Philosopher sings over a strengthening storm (the Chorus). |
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4 | A Great King |
The King praises himself and his rule. |
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5 | God Sets the Time |
The Chorus sings the most well-known verses from Ecclesiastes, accompanied by the ticking of time. |
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6 | A Frustrated King |
The King discovers the limits of his power. |
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7 | Injustice |
The Queen sings of the injustice to be found in the world. |
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8 | A Desperate King |
The King faces an alarming turn of events. |
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9 | Don't Make Rash Promises |
The Chorus advises against making rash promises to God. |
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10 | Riches |
The Philosopher suggests that riches might not be a good thing. |
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11 | Eat, Drink and Enjoy Yourself |
The Chorus throws a party. |
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12 | A King in his Prime |
The King is back on top. |
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13 | Wisdom |
The Philsosopher and Chorus: the advantages of wisdom and the difficulty of obtaining it. |
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14 | More Bitter than Death |
The Philosopher and the Queen: on relations between the sexes. |
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15 | A Lost King |
The King reacts badly to the news that he has been cuckolded. |
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16 | Do What the King Says |
The Chorus advises on how to survive the King's rule. |
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17 | Life |
The Philosopher and the Queen discuss what life is like. |
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18 | Wisdom and Foolishness |
The Chorus |
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19 | A Philosophical King |
The King is resigned to losing his throne. |
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20 | You Never Know |
The Philosopher on the limits to knowledge. |
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21 | Advice to the Young |
The Queen advises the young on youth, old age, and death. |
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22 | Enjoy Life; Revere God |
The soloists and the chorus together sum up the philosopher's message - a balance between enjoyment and reverence. He never said it would be easy. |
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| Opus 3 | Ecclesiastes |
An oratorio based on the Old Testament book. Ecclesiastes is an oddity in biblical terms. It contains no stories, no prophecy, no rules for a godly life. It is an essay on the human condition. It attempts to reconcile philosophy and faith. |
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| Published on: Oct. 26, 2018, 7:30 p.m. | ||