Topic: Handel...The Harmonious Blacksmith Of Music

[PaulSC]

The question remains though even for HIPer's, in cases such as Bach's Brandenburg Concerto I.  Should both halves of the minuet be repeated each time it returns in the finale?  The music sounds interminable when all implied repeats are taken, and thus few (none?) on record actually do so, HIP or not.

Yes, good point -- in fact I had the Brandenburg I example specifically in mind when I hedged with "generally" in my earlier remark.

[Bogey]

Thanks to all for the info.  Dave (Sonic), can you give me a link to the Handel keyboard music you have?


Now playing:


Composed 1724

Just picked this up.  Harnoncourt has never disappointed me.  His streak continues with this purchse tonight.

[FideLeo]

Yes, good point -- in fact I had the Brandenburg I example specifically in mind when I hedged with "generally" in my earlier remark.

Not all HIP conductors repeat the fugal-introduciton section in a French overture on record.  Ditto the development-recapitulation repeat in the first movement when performing a Haydn or Mozart symphony. 

I prefer the whole thing in most cases and am forced to check or guess for repeats whenever buying a new HIP recording of Bach orchestral suites or Mozart symphonies.   Handel's Water Music and Fireworks Music seem less plagued by this for some reason.   

[FideLeo]

Now playing Antonini's audacious and BIG interpretation of Handel's Grand Concerto...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3ZrC5n3aEk" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/N3ZrC5n3aEk</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/qoBdtoyYKmI" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/qoBdtoyYKmI</a>

Scherchen's performance (and indeed most other) sounds not so much dated as reticent in comparison (speaking from memory, not having these discs with me at the moment).

[Bogey]

If you mean by reticent for Scherchen's

inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech

then I do not necessarily agree.  However, if you mean:

restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance <the room has an aspect of reticent dignity — A. N. Whitehead

then I am on board.

I really enjoyed the Antonini's, enough to add it to my wish-list.  I can see where you find the word audacious fitting, where I might bring in the words lush and full bodied. In fact comparing a few of the movements side by side at my end was very difficult.  Enough so I was wondering if I had the wrong pairings.  Meh.  Does not matter.  I enjoyed both so should have both on my shelf.


Any other Handel recs mnemosyne?

[chasmaniac]

2 pages for Handel? For shame!

Here are my favourite of his arias, if I can work this whole cut and paste technology:

As steals the morn, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
As when the dove laments, Acis and Galatea
Se pietà di me non senti, Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Künft’ger Zeiten eitler Kummer, Neun Deutsche Arien
Süßer Blumen Ambraflocken, Neun Deutsche Arien
Oh what pleasures, Alexander Balus
Beneath the vine or fig-tree’s shade, Solomon
Son qual stanco, Arianna in Creta
Angels ever bright and fair, Theodora
With darkness, deep, Theodora
Oh that I on wings could rise, Theodora
There, held in holy passion, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Let me wander not unseen, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
How willing my paternal love, Samson
Heart, the seat of soft delight, Acis and Galatea
Where’er you walk, Semele
Vieni, o figlio, Ottone
Ombra mai fù, Serse
The pilgrim’s home, the sick man’s health, Theodora
To thee, thou glorious son of worth, Theodora
Lascia ch’io pianga, Rinaldo
V’adoro, pupille, Giulio Cesare in Egitto

[chasmaniac]

'Course, there is this thread: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,2077.0.html?PHPSESSID=ac122b43f7628be1652f290a63c22081.

Cancel the shame.

[Geo Dude]

I've been listening to this recording of the Harpsichord Suites lately and loving it.  Handel has a gift for melody, to say the least.

[Bogey]

Handel just broke into my top 3 composers after a week of listening.  Time to bring this thread out of hibernation.

[Ken B]

Handel just broke into my top 3 composers after a week of listening.  Time to bring this thread out of hibernation.

I'm confused. Handel is not popular on GMG or something?

[Bogey]

I'm confused. Handel is not popular on GMG or something?

It's a head scratcher.  I believe that Handel is liked by many here. He just does not get the run of a Beethoven or Mahler or a number of other composers.  What we need is for Gurn to go "Haydn" on him.

[The new erato]

He is en my top 10 (at least) and probably overall the composer I play the most.

[DavidW]

Handel is in my top 10 as well.  If Gurn or MI were to push him I'm sure the thread would run for dozens of pages.

[Octave]

I'd love to know of some excellent recordings of Handel's non-vocal music, as so much of what I have is vocal.  Some things I have discovered within the past year or two that I have liked very much:

1. Water/Fireworks Music by Jordi Savall (Alia Vox, sacd)
2. three discs of orchestral music (including Water/Fireworks) by Tafelmusik dir. Jeanne Lamon (in that Vivarte/Sony 6cd w/music also by Vivaldi, Purcell, Geminiani) [two of the editors of GFHandel.org picked these three to be among their 'desert island discs', fwiw]
3. chamber music box (CRD or Brilliant or Passionato...I think they are all the same program)
4. violin sonatas by Manze/Egarr (I need to look at some more recordings of these)
5. orchestral music by Pinnock (Archiv)
6. one of the Warner Handel Edition boxes with organ concertos by Koopman and keyboard music by Scott Ross and Olivier Baumont
7. keyboard suites 1720 by Ludger Remy (CPO, 2cd)

[North Star]

I'd love to know of some excellent recordings of Handel's non-vocal music, as so much of what I have is vocal.  Some things I have discovered within the past year or two that I have liked very much:

Egarr & Academy of Ancient Music's Op.1-5, Manze & AoAM's Op. 6

...and this one , for the ouvertures

[Rinaldo]

I'm confused. Handel is not popular on GMG or something?

I've always thought the general (not necessarily GMG) consensus on Handel was "yeah, he was the popular guy of his day, while Bach's the real deal / Vivaldi a lot more fun".

I love Handel (if that wasn't obvious from my username) and even though I don't listen to his music as much nowadays, it's always a treat. Plenty of filler, obviously, but the peaks, even the overplayed ones, are tremendous. Give me Lentement from Water Music any day and I'll be moved every single time. Handel's everything I adore about baroque music - the playfulness, the instantly shifting moods, the MELODIES. Hey, even Mozart was a fan!

[Bogey]

I know her Bach is loved on this board, so this might be something some want to snag. 

[Bogey]

Another wonderful disc that is entering the tray:



Handel's chamber music is some of my favorite.  Harry sent me some Brilliant recordings many moons ago and those hooked me. 

[Bogey]

Paul Lang writes in his introduction of his Handel bio (1963):

The regrettable and incredible fact is that the magnitude of Handel's genius and the avalanche of great music he wrote is scarcely suspected today.  True, he always is bracketed with Bach, but once the we remove the brackets and omit Messiah and two or three other works, we have precious little left.

and

His works have to be uncovered and washed free of the prejudices and falsification that cling to them.  Granted, no one can go through the entire work of Handel without admitting that a good deal of it has faded away, perhaps forever, and it is easy to suppose that he always owed his fame to one oratorio and half a dozen opera tunes that were turned into sacred songs.  But we know that much contained in these volumes possesses real life, and it is shocking how reluctant the musical world is to investigate.

Makes me think of Vivaldi a bit.   That is, once you dig past the "one hit" you find a lot of music worth having on the shelf.  I have also noticed this with Handel records that I flip through in bins.  Dozens of Messiahs and very little of other works.  Take away the Water Music and the Fireworks, and finding a piece of vinyl is actually quite a find!  Now, this was the days of vinyl.  But even in current times, do you find his recorded output after his war horses (three or so) fairly small?

[DavidW]

But even in current times, do you find his recorded output after his war horses (three or so) fairly small?

More so than Vivaldi (you compared the two).  I have listened to many recordings of even esoteric concerti of Vivaldi.  I think that Handel's greatest contribution was in opera and oratorio.  But Handel like Lully and Scarlatti are underrepresented (as compared to Bach) even though their operas made a monumental impression during their time.  imo