CPO

Handel: Concerti Grossi Op. 3 / Mortensen, Concerto Copenhagen

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Details

Composer
HÄNDEL, GEORG FRIEDRICH
Artist
Concerto Copenhagen, Mortensen
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
CPO
Released
Feb 28, 2012
Catalog #
777488-2
UPC
761203748822

About



Concerto Copenhagen’s performances ooze abundantly with charm, wisdom and warmth. Passages for recorders, oboes and bassoon during the Largo of Concerto No 1 in B flat are played exquisitely. Courtly rhythms spring disarmingly in the Vivace of Concerto No 2 in B flat…Lars Ulrik Mortensen’s harpsichord continuo is imaginative in its support for the intimate dialogue between two cellos and Frank de Bruine’s beautifully judged oboe solo. The Minuet that concludes Concerto No 4 in F major is correctly an elegant dance…Mortensen’s fluent playing of the tricky quick organ solos in the concluding Allegro are articulated flawlessly. Such classy moments make this one of the most endearing artistic interpretations of Op 3 in recent years...

-- David Vickers, Gramophone [6/2012]

-----


Handel’s op. 3 concerti grossi have long been viewed unfavorably in some critical circles thanks to the reflection cast by the composer’s superior op. 6 collection. Yet the earlier works are thematically attractive, rhythmically varied, and expertly sequenced, despite being constructed piecemeal out of music composed over a long period of time. They’ve proven popular as well with modern listeners as a whole, and there’s no danger of their falling out of circulation—not with more than 15 recordings available in the current catalog.


Lars Ulrik Mortensen’s approach is straightforward, and inclining a bit to the decorous side. He phrases elastically in the adagio of the Third Concerto (the alternative solo flute version, rather than the usual oboe), but not as freely as Egarr/Academy of Ancient Music (Harmonia Mundi 2908292). Again, the opening vivace of the Sixth Concerto moves along with stately pride, but it misses the snap of Egarr’s trills that give it a swaggering air, or the delicacy and fleet pacing of Creswick/Northern Sinfonia (Naxos 8.553457). Next to these two versions, there’s a slight facelessness to this album, despite the virtuosic performances of Concerto Copenhagen.


Which isn’t to discount it; those listeners who find the likes of Egarr or Creswick too characterful will probably prefer these readings. There’s a fine sense of energy, movement and balance to timbres from Mortensen in the Fourth Concerto’s Ouverture, and as in the fugal allegro of the Fifth Concerto, all lines are clearly exposed, easy to follow. Then, too, if he doesn’t accent as sharply as several others, Mortensen does use longer-held notes as one among several methods of accenting—a period-accurate point, and providing a subtle variation to the standard phrasing heard on most other discs.


My own preferences still lie with Egarr in a period-instrument mood, and with Iona Brown/Academy of St. Martin (Hänssler 98.918) when not: unsentimental, brightly articulated, dance-like where required, but capable of great flexibility. But there’s much to be said in favor of this expertly performed recording.


FANFARE: Barry Brenesal

Tracklist 24 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 02:49
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    02:49
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  2. 2 II. Largo 04:23
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  3. 3 III. Allegro 01:20
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  4. 4 IV. Minuet 01:29
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Minuet
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  5. 5 I. Vivace 01:41
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Vivace
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  6. 6 II. Largo 02:19
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    02:19
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  7. 7 III. Allegro 01:48
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    01:48
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  8. 8 V. Gavotte 03:07
    Track
    8
    Title
    V. Gavotte
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  9. 9 I. Largo e staccato 00:33
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Largo e staccato
    Duration
    00:33
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  10. 10 II. Allegro 02:33
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  11. 11 III. Adagio 01:03
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  12. 12 IV. Allegro 03:21
    Track
    12
    Title
    IV. Allegro
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  13. 13 I. Andante - Allegro 05:49
    Track
    13
    Title
    I. Andante - Allegro
    Duration
    05:49
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  14. 14 II. Andante 02:11
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  15. 15 III. Allegro 01:46
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    01:46
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  16. 16 IV. Minuetto alternativo: Allegro 02:17
    Track
    16
    Title
    IV. Minuetto alternativo: Allegro
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  17. 17 I. Largo 01:25
    Track
    17
    Title
    I. Largo
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  18. 18 II. Fuga: Allegro 02:01
    Track
    18
    Title
    II. Fuga: Allegro
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  19. 19 III. Adagio 01:29
    Track
    19
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  20. 20 IV. Allegro, ma non troppo 01:45
    Track
    20
    Title
    IV. Allegro, ma non troppo
    Duration
    01:45
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  21. 21 V. Allegro 02:34
    Track
    21
    Title
    V. Allegro
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  22. 22 I. Vivace 03:04
    Track
    22
    Title
    I. Vivace
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  23. 23 Cadenza 02:21
    Track
    23
    Title
    Cadenza
    Duration
    02:21
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Performer
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
  24. 24 II. Allegro 04:12
    Track
    24
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    04:12
    Composer
    George Frideric Handel
    Performer
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen
    Ensemble
    Concerto Copenhagen
    Conductor
    Lars Ulrik Mortensen