Handel's Water Music is well served on CD. Apart from the authentic versions by The English Concert under Pinnock on Archiv Produktion—which in NA's choice—and the Erato companion by Gardiner and his English Baroque Solists, which I have not heard, there is a more controversial issue by the Vienna Concentus Musicus directed by Nikolaus Harnoncourt on Teldec. But the present performance uses modern instruments (and the Chrysander Edition). It comes most directly into competition with Muti on EMI (CD reviewed above) although the sense of a chamber-size ensemble is somewhat stronger in Scotland than Berlin.
Of course, the playing of the Berlin orchestra is peerless, but the Scottish group is impressive too, not only in the polish and sense of style but by the sheer vigour, and conveyed enjoyment. Gibson's pacing of the allegros is brisk and he dots the rhythms with infectious zest. There is fine lyrical playing too, especially from the principal oboe, while the horns are splendidly robust. Yet the gentler moments have a comparable expressive projection—the famous ''Air'' comes off especially well. The acoustic of Glasgow's City Hall is flattering without spoiling, detail, although the harpsichord continuo fails to make a strong impression. But within the chosen acoustic this is an impossible problem to solve convincingly without giving an artificial 'close-miked' image. In short, I enjoyed this greatly. Handel intended this music to divert and entertain and here it does when the sound is so vivid and the performance so naturally spontaneous. The LP is fractionally less sharp in focus than the CD (where the trumpets in the third suite have a degree more presence), but the LP sound is admirable too.'