Few works mark the change from the friskiness of Italian opera to the sobriety of English oratorio like Handel’s Susanna. Premiered in 1749, its focus on female chastity took a swipe at a perceived decline in sexual morals, yet with a #MeToo story front and centre it offers ripe material for the modern age.
The story, taken from the Book of Daniel, concerns the happily married Susanna who falls victim to two lustful Elders while her husband is away on business. Rebuffed, the predatory pair accuse her of an illicit sexual liaison, condemning her to death until the youthful prophet Daniel – originally a boy soprano – proves they are lying.
