With three acts over two DVDs, this oratorio by Handel is not for the faint hearted! But if you are game, it is well worth it. The brightness in the orchestral playing right from the opening is rewarding while the singers acquit themselves with aplomb, both in singing and acting. Although written as an oratorio, it was written at the peak of Handel’s creative life and is almost operatic in the dramatic intensity of the music. With terrific direction by Rene Jacobs and Christof Nel this is a feast for the eyes and ears.