Handel certainly wrote on the large scale. A great deal of his arias are A,B,A and that makes for usually at least seven minutes for a set piece and the musicians need to take account of the repetition and use their imagination to give the vital variety to each piece in the da capo and capture the drama.
My own favourite is Theodora. Although an oratorio I think it worked superbly when staged at Glyndbourne and the DVD version captured the considerable achievements of the main singers, all superb. In that version the role of Dydimus is sung by a countertenor. I also have a CD version with a mezzo in that role and this is a frequent issue across quite a number of the works, in that you may feel strongly one way or the other, I don't mind. For sure in the Caesar DVD, from the same source, Sarah Connelly is completely convincing as Caesar, another top recommendation.
Theodora has an almost endless string of achingly beautiful arias and as usual, Handel is sparing with the duets. There are two in Theodora, each exquisite. The choral work is less impressive, but not at all dull, but in this work it is the arias that are utterly memorable.
I also recommend Hercules. It has some wonderful choral writing and again the arias predominate. Handel gives the characters space to explain themselves. I have the CD version conducted by Minkowski. He springs the rhythms, brings out the muscularity of the work and drives the dramatic side forward. Ann Sophie von Otter sings the hero's wife. She is given basically a mad scene and Otter conspires with the conductor to take the piece right to the edge, almost out of the style, but it works marvelously. Otter has been criticised by some for a lot of parlando singing, but on this set she does not indulge in any of that.
For something more choral in contrast, you might try Israel in Egypt. Here there are very few arias and the chorus is the protagonist. Handel writes marvelously descriptive music for the plagues and the libretto is full of word painting that Handel heightens......"There were lice in all their quarters", accompanied by the violins buzzing like flies....."Pharaoh's chariots went to the bottom as an stone" Sung by the choir in a descending scale. The choruses follow on one another like a series of fugues and the story progresses excitingly without a narrator or much by way of 'characters'. The Gardiner version is excellent. It has a filler of 'The Ways of Zion Do Mourn', a not inconsiderable piece, though muted as against the Technicolour main event.
A contrast of a different kind is L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Described as a pastoral ode in three parts. It uses poems of Milton. There is no plot or story, it is almost a philosophical discussion set to vernal music with delightful arias, choruses and indeed one duet which is well worth waiting for. Handel was parsimonious with the duets, they are often his most exquisite creations, but he was strict in their placing and there is often one almost at the end of a work and then perhaps just one other. I have and very much enjoy the CDs conducted by John Nelson, excellent singing and playing.
These are all modern HIP recordings. I have older discs and enjoy them also, but I happen to have alighted on these ones as a first stab.
I could go on, but I will give you a rest!
Mike
