Handel...The Harmonious Blacksmith Of Music

Started by Dancing Divertimentian, April 06, 2007, 06:36:56 PM

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Spenserian

Even Ellen T. Harris, the Handel scholar, recommends that recording in her biography of Handel (subtitled A Life with Friends). Apparently it's the recording she uses and listens to. There are some other recordings I supplement with, especially for variety. There is that of Jeremy Joseph, Martin Haselböck and the Wiener Akademie, to be noted for their use of a larger orchestra and organ. If you want a nice pre-HIP performance, Marriner with Malcolm and the academy of St. Martin is always reliable. Koopman and Preston (with Pinnock) are HIP alternatives. I also have an old disc of Rifkin with the concertgebouw chamber orchestra, because a fanfare magazine reviewer preferred it.

I think Handel promises endless riches, and I recently decided to get into them. I bought Winton Dean's famous book about Handel's oratorios (and masques), then printed the libretto for each, because reading for over 3 hours from each from a CD-sized booklet didn't sound great. They fill two huge maps, and I had to go out to buy more paper... twice. I'm grateful for the availablity of books containing texts (and translations) of other major composers of vocal music, such as Bach and Schubert, so it was a surprise to find none available for Handel. I wonder if these kinds of practical considerations stop others from digging in. His output is so massive and overwhelming. Just started Jane Glover's book Handel in London too.

Jo498

The Glover book is quite good, I read it last year, I think. It has a nice balance between musical and biographical content.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Spenserian

Read in a day or 3 at rapid speed, it's really delightful and fun. I didn't much stop to listen to the works as I normally would with a book like this, because of the sheer quantity and length, but I am very interested now in the operas as well. I was looking at blu-rays of Handel operas, and does anybody have versions there they recommend? I am particularly interested musically, the production being lesser or silly or oversexualized or what not doesn't matter to me as much.