Handel: Julius Caesar

Armonico Consort return to album on Signum with a collection of Handel arias, performed by leading counter-tenor William Towers. A noted soloist in both opera and oratorio, the programme is taken from roles which Towers has sung across his career in various productions across the globe. Towers writes: “It is the life-affirming, live-giving aspect of Handel that I’m aiming to celebrate. So frequently his operas reveal their most devastatingly beautiful and uplifting music when life is at its darkest. Here the arias shine brightest, here we find Radamisto’s ‘Ombra cara’ and the boundlessly optimistic ‘Dopo l’orrore’, looking out beyond the darkest clouds to the faint glimmer of a dawning hope. This is the uncrushable, indomitable spirit that lies in all of us ... We just need to take the time to listen.”

After their acclaimed recording of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, La Nuova Musica and David Bates expand their PENTATONE discography with Handel’s Unsung Heroes, in which the instrumentalists of Handel’s operas are put centre stage. Traditionally restricted to an “invisible” existence in the orchestra pit, La Nuova Musica’s obbligato instrumentalists – violinist Thomas Gould, oboist Leo Duarte and bassoonist Joe Qiu – are now in the limelight. They will stand as equal partners alongside a world-class line up of soloists – soprano Lucy Crowe, mezzo-soprano Christine Rice and countertenor Iestyn Davies – showing how Handel wrote music as virtuosic and lyrical for his unsung heroes as for their singing counterparts. The album includes arias from Handel masterpieces such as Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, Agrippina and Ariodante. La Nuova Musica and its artistic director David Bates are among the most exciting Baroque ensembles of today. Their PENTATONE debut with Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice was both BBC Music Magazine Choice and Gramophone Editor’s Choice in December 2019. Iestyn Davies returns to PENTATONE after having sung the title role in that same release, whereas Lucy Crowe and Christine Rice make their PENTATONE debut.

Recorded during this year’s Misteria Paschalia Festival in Poland, Dunedin Consort’s performance of Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day sees them joined for the first time by tenor Ian Bostridge and soprano Carolyn Sampson. Bostridge demonstrates the technical mastery and vocal precision that has seen him win all the major international record prizes in his twenty-five year career. Highly sought-after for her refined Baroque sensibilities and pure intonation, Sampson’s lyric soprano is ideally suited to Handel. Led by John Butt, with singers from the Polish Radio Choir, this rich and colorful tribute to music’s patron saint is the latest in their much-lauded Handel discography, which includes Messiah, Acis & Galatea and Esther, each recording having won widespread acclaim. The recording is completed by Handel’s Concerto Grosso in A minor Op. 6 No. 4, in which Dunedin Consort’s exceptional instrumentalists take center stage.

HANDEL Messiah & • Harry Christophers, cond; Carolyn Sampson (sop); Catherine Wyn-Rogers (alt); Mark Padmore (ten); Christopher Purves (bar); The Sixteen Ch & O (period instruments) • CORO 16062 (3 CDs: 200:13 Text and Translation)


& Sampler of Handel selections from seven other Coro CDs


Harry Christophers here records Messiah for the second time. While it very often happens that a second recording is less successful than the first one, and this has been especially true of Messiah recordings, Christophers has succeeded in making a better recording the second time around.


The promotional material accompanying this recording states that Christophers’s “interpretation has changed and developed and this new recording demonstrates an accomplished expertise, honed over the past 23 years.” I do not find a large difference between the earlier recording and this one in terms of interpretation. Tempos and the overall shape of the score are not much changed. One area where Christophers has improved, however, is in period practice. In his previous recording, the organ was used as the only continuo keyboard for the entire work, which is simply wrong. Here, the harpsichord is used for most recitatives and arias, and in the choruses as well.


Because of Handel’s many revivals of Messiah , there are numerous alternative versions of some pieces. Christophers makes two changes from his previous effort, both in part I. In his first recording, he used the short version of the Pifa (pastoral symphony); here he uses the longer version. For the soprano aria “Rejoice greatly,” Christophers had used the early version in 12/8, which Handel had replaced from 1749 onward with a version in 4/4. For the new recording, Christophers uses the later version.


The casts of singers for the two recordings are basically equal in honor, with one improvement. In his first recording, Christophers had split the music for alto between the delightful Catherine Denley and the mediocre countertenor David James. The new recording uses only four soloists, all excellent.


The third disc presents excerpts from various recordings of The Sixteen that have been reissued on Coro. While they make pleasant listening, they will not be anyone’s reason for purchasing this recording, and all of these works have received better recordings elsewhere.


Aside from Christophers’s two recordings, I have five other period–instrument recordings in my collection. Four, Hogwood, Cleobury, Harnoncourt 2 (Sony), and Pinnock, make choices similar to Christophers’s from among Handel’s later alternative versions of various numbers, and none is clearly superior to the others. The fifth, McGegan, is valuable as a supplement because it presents many, but not all, of the possible alternatives, allowing the listener to reconstruct nine separate performing versions of Messiah . Unfortunately, the performance itself is disappointing, so it cannot be recommended as a primary recording. Of recordings on modern instruments, Colin Davis’s pioneering effort on Philips has held up well. But the recording I return to most often is Neville Marriner’s first recording, on Decca, which is valuable not only for its excellent performance but also because it is based on the first London performance and presents many interesting variant readings. For a period–instrument performance, this recording from Christophers is as good as any I have heard, and I highly recommend it.


FANFARE: Ron Salemi

Also available on Blu-ray

Choreographer Mark Morris garnered international fame for "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato", considered a landmark achievement, and set to Handel's Baroque masterpiece, in which a colorful array of dancers embody the ecstasy of art that transforms. "L'Allegro" was Mark Morris's premiere work as Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium in 1988, and in the intervening years, has been performed to critical and audience acclaim all over the world. Winner of numerous awards including a Laurence Olivier Award, "L'Allegro" uses Milton's text and features sets inspired by William Blake's later watercolors. Founded in NYC in 1980, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) is considered one of the preeminent modern dance companies, its members praised repeatedly for their technique and musicality. Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Dance Group, which has toured with its own musicians, the MMDG Music Ensemble, since 1996. Through Access/MMDG programming, the Dance Group provides educational opportunities in dance and music to people of all ages and abilities while on tour internationally and at home at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, NY. The performance was filmed July 2014 at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain.

The harpsichord used in this collection is a modern instrument designed by the American David Way and it incorporates features of many French 18th century harpsichords.

I am indebted to Alan Cuckston for playing this repertoire in a 'straight' way. Too many players are so bogged down by fruitless attempts to produce 'authentic performances' that they miss the spirit of the music. Their playing is therefore inhibited and has three main annoying quirks at least. Firstly, they make far too much of ornamentation so that the essential mordents, trills and shakes are given such a dramatic exaggeration that they stand out like angry spots upon a blemished face. Mr Cuckston's ornamentation is beautifully incorporated into the natural flair of the music. Secondly, some players are afraid of lively speeds for the quicker movements ... I suspect it is because they do not have the requisite finger technique ... and so the music does not come to life. But, in these performances, it does. Thirdly, some players indulge in grinding rallentandos and, to make matters worse, hang on to cadences for an inordinate length of time so that if a cadence is crotchet, crotchet rest and crotchet at say allegro, which should take just over one second, it can take more than five times as long and has the nauseating aural effect like unto some servile servant apologising to his master, and most profusely, while backing out of his presence.

Mr Cuckston does observe some rallentandos but there is not this excess, this ghastly self-indulgence and musical fetishes!

But here Handel comes alive and surely all music should be both vibrant and alive. Players can kill music for reasons I have already mentioned and no corpse is ever pleasant and it certainly cannot communicate.

The energy and reliability of these performances are exemplary. The F sharp Suite is beset with all sorts of problems but they are not revealed here. The F minor Suite has splendid fugue and, as I have said before, couldn't Handel write a good fugue untrammelled by academia which sometimes the fugues of the great J.S. Bach may be.

The shorter pieces are a delight particularly the Capriccio and more so when it is played with such panache as this. The Air and Variations were the subject of Brahms's great Variations on a Theme of Handel (do investigate the brilliant recording by Peter Katin on Athene (ATH CD 9)).

A thoroughly enjoyable disc beautifully played and well-recorded. And all players of Handel should note. Play Handel like this and you and your audiences will reap deserved awards.

-- David Wright, MusicWeb International

The present release is an outstanding recording of Handel’s Concerti Grossi. Founded in 1959 by Neville Marriner and a group of London musicians, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields has long been one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras. Marriner, initially a violinist and professor of violin at the Royal College of Music in London, became a crucially important figure for the orchestra. In the 1960s, thanks to his vitality and insistence on crisp rhythms, the ASMF set the definitive style for the revival of “ancient music”. Since then its repertoire has expanded from the baroque to the 20th century, and with a discography of over 500 recordings the ensemble stands preeminent amongst the chamber orchestras of the world. After studying in Rome, Brussels and Vienna, and with Henryk Szeryng in Paris, Iona Brown pursued a successful career as a solo violinist before becoming artistic director of the ASMF in 1974. Her long-lasting collaboration with Neville Marriner had a decisive influence on the artistic profile of the chamber orchestra. She died of cancer in 2004.

REVIEW:

This is a reissue of the third recorded set of the complete Handel Concerti Grossi made by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The first Decca set was made in the 1960s under the Academy’s founding conductor Sir Neville Marriner; it was for many years the prime (rosetted) recommendation of the Penguin Guide for a recording of these concertos. The second ASMF set, for Philips, shared the conducting duties between Marriner and Iona Brown. This Hänssler set from the 1990s was directed entirely by Brown, and like the Decca set it included the additional parts that Handel wrote for wind soloists in some of the concerti to supplement the original scoring for strings.

This later set is in places very slightly quicker than the 1960s recordings, but the differences are minimal and generally the tempi remain much as before – certainly they avoid the Scylla of over-heavy emphasis to be found in many old-style interpretations, and the Charybdis of over-speedy and superficial traversal of the music which afflicts so many modern versions given with period instruments. As such the readings might perhaps be pejoratively dismissed as a ‘safe’ option – were it not for the fact that they bristle with life and enjoyment throughout, with lively rhythms and expressive cantilenas both taking turns in some of Handel’s most infectiously enjoyable music. Added spice is added with some judicious ornamentation at appropriate places.

-- MusicWeb International

Format: All Formats
Regions: All Regions
Picture size: 16:9
Approx running time: 295 Mins
Sound: DTS SurroundSound / LPCM STEREO
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Released: 01/04/2006
Number of discs: 3

Bonus:
Documentary about the opera including interviews with William Christie, David McVicar and the cast.
Informal portrait of Danielle de Niese in her first-ever Glyndebourne season.

"David McVicar's production of Giulio Cesare manages to combine serious insight with entertainment, bringing Handel's masterpiece to life in a powerful, convincing and highly intelligent way. In every line of the complex narrative the subtle nuances are apparent, reflecting perfectly the transparent and exquisite nature of Handel's musical expression. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound, the outstanding singing of the all-star cast, led by a superb Sarah Connolly, and the vivid playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the energising baton of William Christie reveal the colour and dramatic character of Handel's music in a most delightful manner." - BBC Opus Arte

"...a lively and imaginative production, directed by the ever resourceful David McVicar, enchanted and amused. …there was so much good acting, often whilst singing difficult and controlled coloratura." - Musical Opinion

"Christie conducts Handel beguilingly - in fact, I’d go so far as to suggest that nobody does Handel better. Christie drew brisk playing from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, crisp and punchy, yet he also carried the slow tempos with magical stillness. But the performance was about much more than sound alone: underneath the OAE's sheen there was an internalized musical depth to each of the numbers." - Opera

"...a production with performances to savour, led from the pit by William Christie and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on stylish form. Sarah Connolly...gave a complete performance full of intelligence and subtlety. Danielle de Niese stole the show as a wily, fun-filled sex kitten who renders men helpless with her irresistible charms." - Opera Now

This Brilliant Classics Composer Edition spectacular shines its brilliant light on one of the Baroque-era giants, George Frideric Handel. At a whopping 65 CDs, this set represents the most comprehensive Handel Edition on the market! While not “Complete”, the set presents a substantial and representative oeuvre: 12 complete oratorios, cantatas, Odes, Anthems, Arias, Duets, the complete chamber music, the complete keyboard works, the complete organ concertos, oboe concertos, the complete Concerti Grossi, the Water Music and Fireworks Music: a grand musical feast covering a wide range of styles, spotlighted instrumentalists and emotions.

The consistently high quality of playing includes performances by Roberto Loreggian in the harpsichord music and legendary soprano Arleen Augér singing the German arias. Handel’s orchestral music is performed by a variety of German chamber groups. The trio sonatas feature L’École d’Orphée, boasting players drawn from some of the leading British Baroque orchestras. The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, conducted by Stephen Cleobury, performs Handel’s most famous oratorio, Messiah. This excellent gift idea represents superb value and guarantees a wealth of repeatable, meaningful listening pleasures.

REVIEW:

There is plenty here to more than make up for the absence of opera...[for] me, the discoveries made it worthwhile and I expect to be dipping into this set for a long time to come. The overall value of the set is such that, even with those discs you’ll only hear once, you can think you are getting something for nothing.

-- MusicWeb International

At Salzburg Festival, Cecilia Bartoli shines as Ariodante with her dazzling coloratura in a highly acclaimed new production by the German director Christoph Loy, who is known for his clever psychological stagings. Loy turns Handel's splendid baroque opera into an exciting and differentiated reflection on gender roles. A high-class ensemble, first and foremost a brilliant Cecilia Bartoli in the trouser role of the knight Ariodante who effortlessly switches between cheerful and lamenting virtuoso singing makes the production a true triumph. At her side perform audience favorite Rolando Villazón as Lurcano and young American soprano Kathryn Lewek, praised by critics as a “true discovery“ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung). Gianluca Capuano at the podium of the Musiciens du Prince – Monaco “provides for elegance, richness of color and a sensitive, stirring realization of the ingenious score.“ (Kurier). “Cecilia Bartoli is a league of her own!" (Der Standard). "The singing was sensational" (LA Times)

The fireworks on this live recording from 2005, featuring the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra led by Nicholas McGegan, are definitely of the vocal variety.

"Nobody does baroque better than Nicholas McGegan and his Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. And nobody does Handel better than McGegan and the PBO, either. So, there's no wonder the team do such a good job with Handel's Atalanta." -- John J. Puccio, Classical Candor

"Magnificent...the most vibrant, exhilarating stretch of musical showmanship this organization has offered in many a long season. Not since a decade ago have Philharmonia audiences witnessed a performance so deep, so affecting or so rich in musical splendor."
-- San Francisco Chronicle

"It is a particular joy to see a peformance such as this, utilising many of the dramatic and musical conventions of the eighteenth century, but with more than a nod towards modern sensibilities, especially when the score is as full of glories as Atalanta, and when performed this well."
-- Sandra Bowdler, The Opera Critic

What we know as ‘Handel’s Opus 3’ is most likely little more than a brazen attempt by the London publisher John Walsh to make some quick money. In 1715, Walsh had issued a pirated edition of Corelli’s 12 Concerti Grossi Opus 6 which proved an instant success and left him constantly looking for similar opportunities. Almost 20 years later, perhaps in the knowledge that the royal protection granted to Handel’s musical output was about to expire, Walsh assembled a set of six orchestral pieces for a wide range of instruments. He prefaced them with a wholly misleading title-page – based on Corelli’s style-defining collection – and advertised them as Handel’s ‘Opera Terza’. It is likely that Handel never took part in the selection and organization of the individual movements, although he may have been involved in the revisions made when a reprint was necessary a few years later. Selected from various sources, the six concertos certainly don’t form an organic cycle – in complete contrast to the future Op.?6 concerti grossi, which Handel carefully conceived as a set. The fact remains that Opus 3 contains some of Handel’s best-loved music, in instrumental combinations that are colorful and often unexpected – aspects that Martin Gester and his musicians in the Tasmanian period band Van Diemen’s Band make the most of.

REVIEW:

Handel's op. 3 collection is a test for any group: staying true to the letter & spirit of the score, while keeping the music sounding fresh and alive. Martin Gester and his Tasmanian group Van Diemen's Band have done exactly that, in this wonderful new album from BIS. There's plenty of fire burning here, but it's within the context of impressive musical discipline and lightly-worn Historically Informed Performance scholarship. BIS provides the kind of direct and transparent sound that allows Early Instruments to flourish. This is a highly recommended release!

-- Music for Several Instruments

“Alexander’s Feast or The Power of Musick. An ode wrote in honour of St. Cecilia” dates from 1736, a time when Handel was attempting to counter the dwindling interest in his Italian operas with oratorios in English. Indeed this work, which resembles an oratorio, found immediate popularity and was quickly counted alongside “Messiah” among his best-loved compositions. Only “Acis and Galatea” and “Messiah” were performed more frequently than “Alexander’s Feast” during Handel’s lifetime. This high-profile recording features the singers Miriam Feuersinger, Danial Johannsen and Matthias Helm, together with the Kammerchor Feldkirch and Concerto Stella Matutina under Benjamin Lack.

Today, it is difficult to imagine a world without the music of Handel. His operas, however, were already looked over even in the composer’s lifetime. Virtuosic and bristling with difficulties, his multithreaded works in the Neapolitan style quickly went out of fashion, and over time they have been almost completely forgotten. Only the twentieth century cracked open the doors to this extraordinary music, whetted the appetites of music lovers with performances of the most daring arias. There is nothing surprising in this- Handel’s sense of opera was incomparable, as evidenced by not only the ease of writing subsequent stage works, but also an exceptional talent for portraying human emotions with music. What we find so attractive in the music of Handel is the powerful emotional charge, making it timeless. What are actually the most successful arias from his operas, if not the musical essence of various shades of infatuation, hatred, despair or joy? Even though characters of the tacks mentioned in this recording come from distant times and spaces, their feelings still resonate with contemporary listeners, allowing a deeper insight into the full mysterious dynamics of love. These arias are performed by Natalia Kawalek and Jakub Jozef Orlinski, two young opera stars.

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REVIEWS:

This recording announces exciting new talents on several fronts. First is that of countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski, a colorful, expressive singer endowed with plenty of power. Also to be noted is the spectacular Natalia Kawalek, who’s classed as a mezzo-soprano but runs the whole gamut from a low growl to light agility at the top, in many pieces that would generally be considered soprano arias. Complaints? Poorly edited translations in the booklet.

– All Music Guide (James Manheim)

It is the nuanced singing of countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski that is fully to the fore in a recital partnered with mezzo-soprano Natalia Kawalek and their Polish compatriots Il Giardino d’Amore. Orlinski’s intuitive phrasing, sweet precision and sense of dramatic moods are consistently appealing.

– Gramophone