This pair of LPs brings to an end the CRD series of the complete chamber music of Handel, recorded by L'Ecole d'Orphee. The Music left for this release includes some of Handel's finest, notably the four unquestionably authentic violin sonatas (the other four, originally published as Nos. 10 and 12 of his Op. 1—different sonatas in the two edition of the early 1730s—are excluded as almost certainly not by Handel, though it should be noted that some even more certainly misattributed works are included in earlier releases of this series).
The first record is largely devoted to violin sonatas. John Holloway gives a thoughtful, refined reading of this music, sensitive to detail, perhaps sometimes at the expense of a broad view; one occasionally feels that the music is being interpreted almost on a phrase-by-phrase basis. As always, his inclination—as the name of his ensemble reflects—is more Francophile than Italianate. Something of the rhythmic drive that belongs in, for example, the Corellian fast movements of the fine A major sonata, No. 3 of Op. 1 (HWV361), or the late Sonata in D (HWV371), is lacking here, and I do not find the shapeliness of detail and the fineness of tone always compensating. The music often sounds a shade languid and enervated. In the opening movement of the D major Sonata, some of the ornaments and 'swells' of tone seem inappropriately French. A curious mannerism heard in both these sonatas involves a momentary holding-back a few bars before the end of a movement, followed by a return to the quick tempo: a bit like braking 100 yards before a traffic light and then speeding up to it. Holloway's airy style is particularly effective in the first movement of the D minor Sonata (HWV359a); the passagework is very neatly articulated in the quick movements and the finale is especially agile and musically graceful. I enjoyed much less the fine G minor Sonata (HWV364a) because it is done with only violin and cello, without harpsichord, to represent a kind of performance that the wording of the original title-page predicates ( ''a Thorough Bass for the Harpsicord or Bass Violin''); but that is a publisher's device to sell the music even to those without a harpsichord, for the music needs the inner harmony—Handel did figure the bass—and the result without it is thin and hollow. Much of the credit for the excellence of these performances belongs with Susan Sheppard, whose shapely, splendidly rhythmic and often brilliantly virtuoso cello playing supplies much of the vitality.
Besides these four works, John Holloway gives us two little-known movements from Handel manuscripts in Cambridge; one in A minor, HWV408, is particularly intriguing for its curious chromaticisms.
There is also, on the first disc, a three-movement Sonata in G, HWV358, played here on the recorder: an early work without much individuality, which could equally belong to the violin (Handel did not specify the instrument), but Philip Pickett carries it off with great aplomb. The second disc contains three trio sonatas found in various manuscripts. The weakest of them is for two flutes, a rather characterless piece that could be, and probably is, by a lesser composer. The B flat one (HWV338) is a highly energetic early work of Handel's, its first movement a big, lively, bubbling piece dealing in patterns of semiquavers (again Susan Sheppard distinguishes herself at least equally with the violinists); the second, arguably overlong, develops violin suspensions over a repeating bass pattern, and the third is a gigue. The C major Sonata, HWV403, is a very fine work, familiar in its later form as the overture to Saul but almost unknown in this version—inspiriting music, with a characteristic grandeur and logic. Finally, the so-called Fitzwilliam Overture for two clarinets and horn (HWV424), an entertaining piece which like Hamlet is full of quotations (though for rather a different reason: Handel several times quarried it, for the queen of Sheba's arrival among other events). The original instruments play pretty well in tune and give it a pleasant directness and vigour.
The recordings are bright and clear, and well balanced, except perhaprs in some of the violin sonata movements where the cello is too generously treated. There are good, informative sleeve-notes. Warmly recommended.'