Handel, the Harmonious Blacksmith of Music

[TonyAthletic]

It's one of those works, Tony, which I almost always like better attending a performance, than listening to a recording.

In agreement,

One thing I often wonder with the Messiah and planning of 'date time', especially over here in Manchester/Liverpool is the fact that the RLPO/Halle/BBC Phil etc always perform the Messiah around January 2nd or 3rd, never when I feel it should be performed ie Christmas week.  I for one never found the same thrill in watching it after the New Year, as I did before Christmas.

The Messiah is always a work I dig out and listen in December, and never at any other time of the year...weird eh?

[BWMahlerian]

I never really quite understand why Messiah is played at Christmas? Sure it's about Jesus, but doesn't it deal with his death and resurrection? Sounds like Easter to me...

[TonyAthletic]

I never understood why we Brits stand at the Hallelujah chorus. 

I assume it was King George who started this off, not really as a sign of respect to Handel, it was due to the fact that he was given a £1 pair of bloomers, and he had 50 pence worth lodged in his crack.  That's why we stand at the Hallelujah, not the reasons you think.  We are not paying homage, Its just a 'brief' moment for us Brits to 're adjust' ourselves.   

[sidoze]

I never understood why we Brits stand at the Hallelujah chorus. 

Really?

[karlhenning]

I never really quite understand why Messiah is played at Christmas? Sure it's about Jesus, but doesn't it deal with his death and resurrection? Sounds like Easter to me...

Sounds to me like you haven't paid attention to the texts in Part I.

[TonyAthletic]

Its true Tony.

I have seen you standing at the Albert Hall.  

[DavidW]

That would only occur if it was a transcription of the Messiah on the piano for Sokolov to play!

[owlice]

I never understood why we Brits stand at the Hallelujah chorus. 

I assume it was King George who started this off, not really as a sign of respect to Handel, it was due to the fact that he was given a £1 pair of bloomers, and he had 50 pence worth lodged in his crack.  That's why we stand at the Hallelujah, not the reasons you think.  We are not paying homage, Its just a 'brief' moment for us Brits to 're adjust' ourselves.   

Yes, but I don't think that's a surprise to anyone. I've heard that story since, well, forever; it's never been presented as "homage," just as "tradition," and the reason given was always some variation of readjustment/stretching. And it's done here in the US, too. The standing, that is. What people do while they are standing, I really don't care to know!

The congregation sang the "Hallelujah" chorus at Easter service. We stood for it, too... without adjustments. 

That said, the work is often performed at Christmas, though only part of it really fits the season. The first time I ever performed the work, it was in July or August -- go figure!!!

[DavidW]

Tony, I have a quote from you thanks to the poster who's handle is the greatest piano sonata that TonyTT never heard.

"Handel understands effect better than any of us -- when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt." - Mozart

[donwyn]

I agree with others about the brilliance of Handel's operas and oratorios. Sadly, they're not as well known as they should be. They're loaded with the kind of invention that would be the envy of even the greatest of tunesmiths. And for my money, they blow past the better known works of Handel (Water Music, etc...) with ease. What's more, we live in a good time for Handel stage works on disc. The last decade or so has seen an explosion of recordings of many of his greatest stage works. A short-list of recommened works might look like this:

Saul
Ariodande
Orlando
Imeneo
Almira
Acis and Galatea
Judas Maccabaeus
Belshazzar
and, of course,
Messiah

These works have an elevated position in my listening schedule and should be required listening for anyone with ears - if only as an example of what's best in music. 

[lechanteur]

So I've started here a Handel appreciation thread.  What are your favorite works of Handel?  I am fond of his concertos for organ, oboe and the concerto grosso Op 6.

I find myself a bit undecided between the Concertos Grosso Op.3 and Op.6, but will probably lean toward the former for certain sentimental reasons. I like the Water Music, too - used that as our preliminary "audience-seating, mood-adjusting" music at my wedding...

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Italianate cantatas yet. I have a couple of discs by Magdalena Kozená, Emma Kirkby and Carolyn Watkinson, and for a time they were simply "unputdownable".

[donwyn]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Italianate cantatas yet. I have a couple of discs by Magdalena Kozená, Emma Kirkby and Carolyn Watkinson, and for a time they were simply "unputdownable".

Agreed.

Handel's Salve Regina is music of haunting beauty.

[npwilkinson]

I wouldn’t dare say one work or another is the greatest, but certainly the Händel work I’ve listened to most of all and know practically by heart (in its English version) is Giulio Cesare. We have a fun production of that in Paris, now starting to date a little, by Nicholas Hytner. Other works I’ve been particularly fond of are Semele, Tamerlano, Alcina and Hercules.

One of the high points in my (now getting rather long) opera-going career was hearing Arleen Auger as Alcina: she reduced even a Parisian audience to pin-drop silence in Act 2. That was years ago; we now have, in Paris, a rather cool, modern production by Robert Carsen, which involved Renée Fleming in its first outing, and Luba Orgonasova, whom I preferred, in its second.

Luc Bondy’s contemporary production of Hercules was in Paris last December, under Christie. I liked it, though many didn’t. But the best of all Händel productions I’ve seen was McVicars’ staging of Agrippina, with Jacobs in the pit, in Brussels and Paris.

I have a couple of version of Ariodante on disc, too, but neither has yet really gripped me. Of the two, I would prefer Minkowski’s, but don’t much like Von Otter’s mannered approach - which she reproduced on stage in a trendy but unsuccessful production in Paris a few years back.

[DavidW]

I find myself a bit undecided between the Concertos Grosso Op.3 and Op.6, but will probably lean toward the former for certain sentimental reasons. I like the Water Music, too - used that as our preliminary "audience-seating, mood-adjusting" music at my wedding...

Yeah both sets are superb, I just favor Op 6 a little more, and now you've rounded it out!

[dcabiale]

 I would never miss, apart from those woks already pointed:
 Oratorios: L'allegro, il penseroso ed il moderato (listen to the last duet); Solomon (one of his best), Theodora, La Resurrezione (If I´m not wrong Corelli played it in Rome) , Jephta (a very good version at a budget price in Brilliant, as good as that of Gardiner in Philips), Susanna
Operas: Rodelinda, Orlando, Tamerlano, Xerses (the same libretto that Cavalli had already employed but with some cuts) Agrippina (one of his first operas but with a very good libretto written by a cardinal)
The first aria "Eternal source..." of the Foundling Hospital Anthem is incredible.
As far as for the conductors and recordings:
Gardiner is excellent both in oratorios (the monteverdi choir is at its best) and operas.
Robert King has recorded many oratorios which are really beautiful (they included J Bowman perfomances which are unsurpased)
Minkowsky has improved quite a lot (his first recordings are interesting: Teseo and Amadigi -if I'm not wrong- in Erato) and his recording of Dixit Dominus has no rival
McCreesh is recording in Archiv some oratorios (Saul, Solomon, Theodora...), but there is not such a great difference with Gardiner (as a fact I prefer the last one) (though he -McCreesh- doesn´t seem to appreciate him at all and his way of conducting) to re-buy the same works again at a full price
Of course you have to mention McGegan who has recorded a lot of works, first in Hungaroton (Atalante, Brockes passion, Floridante...) and then in Harmonia Mundi. In the last label are quite good: Susana, Ottone, Agrippina and Theodora.

And last: the camera works (chamber music) can be bought at budget price in Brilliant (6 cds). The soloists are quite good.