Esther was the first of Handel's English oratorios, and developed out of a revision of an earlier work. It was composed while Handel was under the influence of the literary circle of Lord Burlington. The literati at Cannons were very interested in classical poetics, but also in typically English dramatic forms such as the Purcell semi-opera and the Stuart masque. Esther was originally called a masque, but had a biblical story. It contains dance, spectacle and visual treats for the eye which historically were very valued by the English, showing its indebtedness to English theatrical idioms. Esther was based on a libretto by the French playwright Racine, which was set to music by Jean-Baptiste Moreau(1656-1733). Both Esther and Athalia were intended for Madame de Maintenon, and meant to be morally edifying for the girls in her charge. They were written late in Racine's life, and do not emphasize such traditionally popular elements as love stories, or adventure. Rather they emphasize the moral dilemmas of their heroines, and the heroic strength of their personalities. In Esther we find the first emergence of the Handelian dramatic chorus, which was to inform his later oratorio creations. Esther was very successful at its premier, and Handel revived it throughout his life as a favorite of the London public whenever his seasons needed boosting.

Although quite popular initially, Handel would not have explored his new form had not another rival tried to pirate the work for profit. This occurred in April of 1732. Handel had no copyright, so he quickly revised the work for his star cast of Italian singers, and began a new production of it in March. His rivals were silenced, and Handel discovered a new idiom that was popular with the English public. Because of the new strictures against staging biblical stories, the new Esther was left unstaged, and was turned into Handel's first English oratorio.

© Rita Laurance, All Music Guide