Getting at Handel's operas and oratorios

[Brünnhilde forever]

And the Tamerlano with Domingo and Mingardo - Bajazet and Andronico - McCreesh conducting, is not on the list? 

[Elgarian]

If you would put a gun to my head I guess that I would choose DVD's because opera is supposed to be a visual as well as a musical art form and with CD's the visual aspect isn't there.

In principle, I completely agree about this. I mean, rather than listen to a CD or watch a DVD, I would vastly prefer to attend a good live production, in which the visual is enormously important and it's easy to become fully immersed in it - in the reality, the presence, of it. Now, with a CD, for me, the visual is still there - but it's in my head. I 'see' the opera unfolding in imagination, as it were. The problem with a DVD is that unless it's really good, it interferes with that imaginative process and replaces it with something less helpful. So, with something like the Glyndebourne Giulio, or the Christie Indes Galantes, or the Dessay/Villazon Manon, the visual aspect is so compelling that I try to follow every movement, every gesture, and come back again for more. But if it's a less than compelling DVD, my attention drifts from the rectangular screen and I end up preferring just to listen.

Or maybe I need a really big TV!!!

[Rod Corkin]

Sorry Rego, I have not got even one of those recordings.

Mike

Of course I have them all! 

[Que]

And now it's Sony's turn. All those fat boxes are...scary!

And one couldn't get even one opera for that price... (€44 at jpc)



Rinaldo (Cotrubas, Watkinson, Esswooe, Brett, Cold, Le Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roi, Malgoire / 1977)
Julius Caesar (Treigle, Sills, Forrester, New York City Opera Orchestra, Rudel / 1967)
Tamerlano (Ledroit, Elwes, van der Sluis, Jacobs, Poulenard, Le Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roi, Malgoire / 1983)
Rodelinda (Schlick, Schubert, Cordier, Wessel, Pregardien, La Stagione Frankfurt, Schneider / 1990)
Alessandro (Jacobs, Boulin, Poulendard, Nirouet, Varcoe, Mey, La Petite Bande, Kuijken / 1984)
Lotario (Kermes, Mingardo, Davislim, Summers, Prina, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis / 2003)
Partenope (Laki, Müller-Molinari, Jacobs, Skinner, La Petite Bande, Kuijken / 1979)
Xerxes (Watkinson, Esswood, Wenkel, Hendricks, Rodde, Le Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Malgoire / 1979)

Q

[Elgarian]

And now it's Sony's turn. All those fat boxes are...scary!

And one couldn't get even one opera for that price... (€44 at jpc)

Scary indeed. I can't find any trace of this on Amazon yet.

[Wendell_E]

Scary indeed. I can't find any trace of this on Amazon yet.

amazon.com ($56.99): http://www.amazon.com/Handel-Opera-Collection/dp/B001V69WN8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1241013720&sr=1-3
It just released on April 21st, but it says: Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available, blah, blah, blah.

But I see you're in the UK.  I don't see it at amazon.co.uk, either.

[The new erato]

Malgoire has never impressed me much. A fine price agrred, but exceopt for the Lotario I would guess there are far better versions of most of these works available. There's a fine, 15 CD Virgin set:

 

at 40 GBP that I would prefer as an introduction to Handels operas; containing:

dmeto                                                                             

René Jacobs, Rachel Yakar, Ulrik Cold



Arminio                                                                             
Vivica Genaux, Geraldine McGreevy, Dominique Labelle

Deidamia                                                                           
Simone Kermes, Dominique Labelle, Anna Maria Panzarella

Radamisto                                                                       
Joyce DiDonato, Patrizia Ciofi, Maite Beaumont,
Zachary Stains, Laura Cherici, Dominique Labelle

Rodrigo                                                                             
Gloria Banditelli, Sandrine Piau

Fernando, rè di Castiglia
Lawrence Zazzo, Veronica Cangemi, Marianna Pizzolato, Max Emanuel Cencic

all with the Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis

[Brünnhilde forever]

Hot off the press - klassik.com - which should be of interest:

http://magazin.klassik.com/reviews/reviews.cfm?task=review&REID=9745&RECID=15267&CFID=5817657&CFTOKEN=136262ca4e137c9f-F3C13717-0E85-C246-6EA5A8BF6353F8AF

I assume Handel fans are also proficient in the German language. 

[Bulldog]

I assume Handel fans are also proficient in the German language. 

Bad assumption.  I'm still trying to get the hang of the English language.

[Brünnhilde forever]

Then open the site anyhow and listen to the sound bites; click on 'Hörbeispiele, the long list of numbers! 

[Elgarian]

There's a fine, 15 CD Virgin set:

 

at 40 GBP that I would prefer as an introduction to Handels operas

That's enormously tempting, but the downside, of course, is that this box is booklet-free. There's a disc with all the libretti etc on it, but I find those things far from satisfactory, myself.

[The new erato]

I wasn't aware of that as I have most of these issues singly. Why do they do these things? OK - to save a few quid on the sale price; but I would think that a set like this appeals to an audience that would accept paying for that, and would see documentation as important for works as rare as these. If you are interested enough to put up 40 quid for a set of discs like these you are likely interested enough to pay for knowing whats going on - and documentation on discs don't work for me either. I need something easily available to read WHILE I listen. It is noe exactly the 300th recording of Heidenrøslein we are talking about here either.

On a similar note, I was deeply disturbed when I found the Sonys double disc reissue of Goulds recording of Hindemiths rarely recorded, and essential, Marienleben song cycle, was without texts as well and the only documentation was a copy of the original LP covers, reduced down to CD format and completely illegible, even in a microscope. It's not a cheap set of discs either, at 10 GBP for a double reissue of 90 minutes of music. I saw musicweb loved the music and performance, but warned prospective purchasers as well as I do here. BEWARE!  And no discs or other source of texts either, but if someone has a link somewhere that would be useful. You might as well get a free rip, the CD offers nothing of additional value.

This is why you are losing to downloads guys (and ultimately to free ripping), one of the reasons I prefer CDs is the documentation and surrounding material, and I am willing to pay for it.

Somebody (and not Lebrecht) should write a book on the "Stupidity of the Music Majors".

Somehow I think Virgin would never have reissued that Handel box so stupidly if they weren't a part of EMI.

[Elgarian]

OK - to save a few quid on the sale price; but I would think that a set like this appeals to an audience that would accept paying for that, and would see documentation as important for works as rare as these. If you are interested enough to put up 40 quid for a set of discs like these you are likely interested enough to pay for knowing whats going on - and documentation on discs don't work for me either. I need something easily available to read WHILE I listen.

Exactly so. I wonder how much they actually do save on production costs by not including the librettos? Take the Warner Handel Edition, for instance - terrific value at 6 discs in each box for under £20, and there is a booklet included in each box - but it doesn't have the text - just synopses, and the offer of an only-just-legible pdf download from the website. If you're going to make a booklet at all - why not make a proper one?

[Elgarian]

But enough grumbling. Here's cause for celebration:



This is just fabulous. It's the first of the Italian cantantas that I've encountered, and it has charmed me to bits. On that basis I've already ordered the companion Helios recording of Aminta e Fillide by the same line-up of Denis Darlow and the London Handel Orchestra. But my question is this - how do these compare with the much more recent recordings of Bonizzoni and La Risonanza, on Glossa? I know the Glossa series is highly regarded but I haven't been able to find any samples from them online.

[Que]

I know the Glossa series is highly regarded but I haven't been able to find any samples from them online.

http://www.classicsonline.com/ensemblebio/Risonanza__La_/

http://www.preludeklassiekemuziek.nl/disco_glossa_bonizzoni.html

Q

[The new erato]

But enough grumbling. Here's cause for celebration:



This is just fabulous. It's the first of the Italian cantantas that I've encountered, and it has charmed me to bits. On that basis I've already ordered the companion Helios recording of Aminta e Fillide by the same line-up of Denis Darlow and the London Handel Orchestra. But my question is this - how do these compare with the much more recent recordings of Bonizzoni and La Risonanza, on Glossa? I know the Glossa series is highly regarded but I haven't been able to find any samples from them online.

They are my favorite Handel works. I have both recordings, and though I don't have any fresh recollections of exactly this work, I think the Glossa are better. And they are on sale very favorably at www.prestoclassical.co.uk . At least try vol 5 - simply a stunning disc that I have been playing to pieces lately.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

This is just fabulous. It's the first of the Italian cantantas that I've encountered, and it has charmed me to bits.

Handel's Italian cantatas are great delights. In fact, Handel's entire Italian period is filled with such delights.

Try his great Italian-period opera, Imeneo:

[The new erato]

Handel's Italian cantatas are great delights. In fact, Handel's entire Italian period is filled with such delights.

Try his great Italian-period opera, Imeneo:

I'm there as well. Love his cantatas and operas, are more neutral as regards his oratorios.

[Elgarian]

http://www.classicsonline.com/ensemblebio/Risonanza__La_/
http://www.preludeklassiekemuziek.nl/disco_glossa_bonizzoni.html

This is terrific - just what I hoped for. Thanks so much for these links.

@ erato

They are my favorite Handel works. I have both recordings, and though I don't have any fresh recollections of exactly this work, I think the Glossa are better. And they are on sale very favorably at www.prestoclassical.co.uk . At least try vol 5 - simply a stunning disc that I have been playing to pieces lately.

Oh! I just saw the prices at PrestoClassical. Excellent - thank you.

@O'Richter

Handel's Italian cantatas are great delights. In fact, Handel's entire Italian period is filled with such delights. Try his great Italian-period opera, Imeneo

I know, I know. What I want is hopelessly outstripping what I can afford. Thank you for the recommendation.

Indeed, thanks again to all of you - this is really helpful.

[Elgarian]

At least try vol 5 - simply a stunning disc that I have been playing to pieces lately.

I've ordered vols 1, 2, and 5 from the Prestoclassical sale offer. Later in the month I'll sell my furniture and buy 3 and 4.