Andrea Matthews

Every child who ever learnt the recorder or played in a school orchestra will probably know the famous ‘Minuet’ included in the Overture, but they can be forgiven for knowing little else from the work since it is so rarely performed. That its premiere in London in 1737 was a failure had little to do with Handel’s score but more with a growing public indifference to Italian opera. The music, as seasoned Handelians will not need to be told, is of high quality (though not perhaps at once among his most alluring scores), and Antonio Salvis’s libretto, concerned with politics and romance, provides the composer with opportunity for lively duets and evocative ‘simile’ arias. The cast is strong, though not uniformly so, with soprano Julianne Baird in the title role.

''Siroe'' (1728), the Italian opera that the huge popularity of ''The Beggar`s Opera'' drove from the London stage (and nearly ruined poor Handel), is hardly less fascinating. The plot resembles that of ''King Lear'' and is buoyed along by some of the most subtle and varied music Handel ever wrote for the theater. Again, the realization by members of Palmer`s ''stock company''

Muzio Scevola ("Mucius Scaevola", HWV 13) is an opera seria in three acts about Gaius Mucius Scaevola. The Italian-language libretto was by Paolo Antonio Rolli, adapted from a text by Silvio Stampiglia. The music for the first act was composed by Filippo Amadei, the second act by Giovanni Bononcini, and the third by George Frideric Handel. Collaborations of groups of composers were common in the 18th century, though this is the only one done in London. Bononcini had written the music for two earlier treatments of this story on his own, works dating from 1695 and 1710. The opera's initial run of performances began at the King's Theatre in London on 15 April 1721. A part of the second act and the third part composed by Händel is documented on the production of new port Classic being here.

The Kontor Top Of The Clubs is Germany's leading dance compilation series and is now in its 80th round. Included are the 69 best and hottest club hits, mixed in three exclusive DJ mixes by Markus Gardeweg, Jerome and HUGEL. On a fourth bonus CD, there are also 23 selected single tracks from CD 1-3, unmixed and in full length! The result is upfront club sound, which can not be heard on any other compilation!

Five CD set featuring relaxing cinema, classical, vocals & orchestra pieces. Collection of a romantic and just calm, pleasant hearing of classical music. The most beautiful emotional best classical music!

Housed in slick digipaks containing 5 discs packed full of your favourite hits. Supersonic 70s presents 100 Classic Sounds of the 70s across Pop, Funk, Soul & Disco. The biggest hits from Eric Carmen, Boston, The Jacksons, Lou Reed, Bay City Rollers, Lou Reed, Deniece Williams, Meat Loaf, and many more..