Chandos
Handel: Duets / Bicket , Connolly, Joshua, English Concert
$21.99
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Details
- Composer
- HANDEL, GEORGE FREDERIC
- Artist
- Connolly, Joshua, English Concert, Bicket
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Chandos
- Released
- Mar 30, 2010
- Catalog #
- CHAN 0767
- UPC
- 095115076729
About
CDs of opera and oratorio arias and duets by Handel are hardly a rare event. Last year’s 250th anniversary of the composer’s death lead to something of a glut in the market. In this respect, Chandos - under its early music Chaconne label - has made a wise choice in waiting until this year to release this recording of dramatic duets. It enables us to sit back and assess it on its own terms rather than as yet another anniversary act of homage.
And this disc really is worth considering closely. Superbly recorded, it sounds alive, clear and acoustically rich. It also features a well balanced programme, mixing operatic with oratorio duets that cover the full range of emotional experiences endured by Handel’s characters – from painful separation to joyous reunion; and from loving harmony to malign scheming.
The playing from the English Concert under Harry Bicket is excellent. Their performance is a fully ‘authentic’ affair on original instruments, with the usual sections of the baroque orchestra augmented by organ, archlute and baroque guitar. The recording balance brings them more to the fore than is often the case in Handel recordings, and turns them from stage supporters, to fully fledged actors in each of the short scenarios. Take for example the painterly introduction to ‘To thee, thou glorious son of worth’ from Theodora (track 6), or the plaintive flutes that accompany ‘Vivo in te’ from Tamerlano (track 9).
And what of the two soloists – soprano Rosemary Joshua and mezzo Sarah Connolly? Both are experienced Handelians in the recording studio and, more importantly, on stage, and therefore bring an insight, vigour and commitment to each of their roles. Their voices are also sufficiently varied to enable the listener to differentiate between them: Joshua’s is bright and lithe; Connolly’s warm and supple. Occasionally their blend is a little indistinct – in ‘Notte cara!’ from Ottone, for example (track 5) – and Connolly’s characterisation of roles originally sung by male castrati could do with a little beefing up. But for sheer vocal beauty, there is very little to fault.
John-Pierre Joyce, MusicWeb International
"This is what happens when you give every bar of Handel’s music its own raison d’être and breathe every wisp of nuance into his flavourful duets and those prolonged “da capo” arias. This concert, delivered by the English Concert under Harry Bicket, offered two artists of great refinement: Connolly and the elegant soprano Rosemary Joshua. Actually, there was a third great artist here, too: Bicket led his ensemble with both dramatic concision and pungent expression."
-- The Times (London)
And this disc really is worth considering closely. Superbly recorded, it sounds alive, clear and acoustically rich. It also features a well balanced programme, mixing operatic with oratorio duets that cover the full range of emotional experiences endured by Handel’s characters – from painful separation to joyous reunion; and from loving harmony to malign scheming.
The playing from the English Concert under Harry Bicket is excellent. Their performance is a fully ‘authentic’ affair on original instruments, with the usual sections of the baroque orchestra augmented by organ, archlute and baroque guitar. The recording balance brings them more to the fore than is often the case in Handel recordings, and turns them from stage supporters, to fully fledged actors in each of the short scenarios. Take for example the painterly introduction to ‘To thee, thou glorious son of worth’ from Theodora (track 6), or the plaintive flutes that accompany ‘Vivo in te’ from Tamerlano (track 9).
And what of the two soloists – soprano Rosemary Joshua and mezzo Sarah Connolly? Both are experienced Handelians in the recording studio and, more importantly, on stage, and therefore bring an insight, vigour and commitment to each of their roles. Their voices are also sufficiently varied to enable the listener to differentiate between them: Joshua’s is bright and lithe; Connolly’s warm and supple. Occasionally their blend is a little indistinct – in ‘Notte cara!’ from Ottone, for example (track 5) – and Connolly’s characterisation of roles originally sung by male castrati could do with a little beefing up. But for sheer vocal beauty, there is very little to fault.
John-Pierre Joyce, MusicWeb International
"This is what happens when you give every bar of Handel’s music its own raison d’être and breathe every wisp of nuance into his flavourful duets and those prolonged “da capo” arias. This concert, delivered by the English Concert under Harry Bicket, offered two artists of great refinement: Connolly and the elegant soprano Rosemary Joshua. Actually, there was a third great artist here, too: Bicket led his ensemble with both dramatic concision and pungent expression."
-- The Times (London)
Tracklist 12 tracks
-
1 Radamisto, HWV 12, Act III: Se teco vive il cor 03:16
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Radamisto, HWV 12, Act III: Se teco vive il cor
- Duration
- 03:16
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
2 Rodelinda, HWV 19, Act II: Io t'abbraccio 06:52
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Rodelinda, HWV 19, Act II: Io t'abbraccio
- Duration
- 06:52
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
3 Solomon, HWV 67, Part I: Welcome as the dawn of day 03:09
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Solomon, HWV 67, Part I: Welcome as the dawn of day
- Duration
- 03:09
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
4 Theodora, HWV 68, Act III: Streams of pleasure ever flowing 06:47
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Theodora, HWV 68, Act III: Streams of pleasure ever flowing
- Duration
- 06:47
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
5 Ottone, re di Germania, HWV 15, Act III: Duet: Note cara! 04:35
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Ottone, re di Germania, HWV 15, Act III: Duet: Note cara!
- Duration
- 04:35
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
6 Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: To thee, thou glorious son of worth 04:54
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: To thee, thou glorious son of worth
- Duration
- 04:54
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
7 Ariodante, HWV 33, Act III: Bramo haver mille vite 04:50
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Ariodante, HWV 33, Act III: Bramo haver mille vite
- Duration
- 04:50
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
8 Belshazzar, HWV 61, Act III: Great victor, at your feet I bow 04:57
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Belshazzar, HWV 61, Act III: Great victor, at your feet I bow
- Duration
- 04:57
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
9 Tamerlano, HWV 18, Act III: Vivo in te mio caro bene 07:00
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Tamerlano, HWV 18, Act III: Vivo in te mio caro bene
- Duration
- 07:00
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
10 Sosarme, re di Media, HWV 30, Act II: Per Le Porte del Tormento 07:32
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Sosarme, re di Media, HWV 30, Act II: Per Le Porte del Tormento
- Duration
- 07:32
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
11 Agrippina, HWV 6, Act III: No, no, ch'io non apprezzo 03:53
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Agrippina, HWV 6, Act III: No, no, ch'io non apprezzo
- Duration
- 03:53
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket
-
12 Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act III: Caro! Bella! 04:48
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act III: Caro! Bella!
- Duration
- 04:48
- Composer
- George Frideric Handel
- Performer
- Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
- Ensemble
- The English Concert
- Conductor
- Harry Bicket