Handel: Orchestral Works

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: George Frideric Handel

Label: Archiv

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 415 291-2AH

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(3) Concertos for Oboe and Strings George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
David Reichenberg, Oboe
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Sonata a cinque George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Simon Standage, Violin
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Concerto grosso, 'Alexander's Feast' George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor

Composer or Director: George Frideric Handel

Label: Archiv

Media Format: Cassette

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 415 291-4AH

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(3) Concertos for Oboe and Strings George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
David Reichenberg, Oboe
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Sonata a cinque George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Simon Standage, Violin
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Concerto grosso, 'Alexander's Feast' George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor

Composer or Director: George Frideric Handel

Label: Archiv

Media Format: Vinyl

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 415 291-1AH

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(3) Concertos for Oboe and Strings George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
David Reichenberg, Oboe
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Sonata a cinque George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Simon Standage, Violin
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
Concerto grosso, 'Alexander's Feast' George Frideric Handel, Composer
(The) English Concert
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Trevor Pinnock, Conductor
With this latest anthology of concertos by (and perhaps by) Handel, Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert must be approaching the conclusion of their project of recording his orchestral music. Here we have the Concerto grosso in C major, which Handel completed in 1736 and first performed that year between the acts of his ode, Alexander's Feast, three oboe concertos and a 'Sonata' in B flat, which is, to all intents and purposes a concerto. Readers will know that I regard English Concert performances of Handel with special affection; Trevor Pinnock almost always succeeds in capturing that robust, warm-blooded affability which characterizes one aspect of Handel's musical personality whilst also being able to voice the composer's gentler expressive language with a pleasing refinement and clarity. Such contrasts are plentiful in this enchanting programme in which solo, concertino and ripieno playing could hardly be bettered. The Concerto in Alexander's Feast is given the most vigorous performance of any that I can recall, with notably crisp 'Lombard' rhythms in the finale. In the 'Sonata' the solo instrument throughout is violin; it's an early work dating from Handel's Italian period during the first decade of the eighteenth century. There are some sparkling virtuoso passages in the closing movement, cleanly and articulately negotiated by Simon Standage; Hans Joachim Marx, the author of the accompanying note, suggests that these athletic solo figurations were for the benefit of the most celebrated Roman violinist of the period, Corelli.
The soloist in the three oboe concertos is David Reichenberg whose dependable technique and sensitive musicianship ensure performances of enduring pleasure. Only the first concerto of the three is indisputably Handel's work. There is a certain amount of doubt concerning the authorship of the second concerto and rather more concerning the third, which was only published during the mid-nineteenth century. Never mind, these are delightful works each containing features which make them more than merely of passing interest. The recorded sound is clear and immediate though I detected just a hint of distortion here and there in the opening Andante of the 'Sonata' on my LP pressing; this apart, a thoroughly enjoyable release featuring on its cover a spaciously laid-out country house in Denbighshire. I hope, by the way, that Archiv have not overlooked the Concerto in B flat a due cori which was omitted from the album containing Handel's other two concertos for wind bands and strings.'

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