Dvd Haendel The Coronation of King George II

Haydn’s Masses form an extremely significant part of his huge output, just as important as the symphonies and string quartets. His very first work seems to have been the little Mass in F, and the last piece he completed was the great ‘Harmoniemesse’. As with the symphonies, it is the final group that are the finest; six major masterpieces, which show Haydn at his most creatively fertile. Indeed, it seems clear that his London experience greatly enriched Haydn’s mass composition in his late years; the approach is ‘symphonic’, often with elements of sonata-form, and the orchestra is used with striking resourcefulness. There is absolutely nothing formulaic in these works; he has clearly set about each mass with a fresh mind and a fresh response to the text.

A glorious collection of choral music by British composers, recorded live during services of Choral Evensong in King’s College Chapel. Popular anthems like Hubert Parry’s I was glad and Patrick Hadley’s My beloved spake are included alongside settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis through the centuries. Included here are settings from Byrd’s Great Service and Weelkes’ Short Service, alongside Stanford’s setting in G and William Mathias’ Jesus College Service. Recorded between the summers of 2018 and 2019, this selection presents music from Stephen Cleobury’s last year as Director of Music at King’s College after 37 years in post.

The ever-increasing popularity of Handel and his contemporaries, and their employment of alto castratos, has encouraged the development of countertenors capable of similar vocal feats to the original interpreters of the heroic roles in these works. Among these the distinguished American, David Daniels, who burst on to the scene here a couple of years ago at Glyndebourne in Theodora, is a leading contender. If I would place Scholl in the category of Deller and Esswood, with their luminous, soft-grained tone, Daniels is closer to the more earthy sound of Bowman, his voice — like Bowman's — astonishingly large in volume.

Rodelinda is a tale of unrequited love steeped in jealousy, treachery and grief. Jean-Marie Villegier's stylish production of Rodelinda sets Handel's tale of royal exile and fidelity in this silent movie era. The composer's ravishing music is perfectly set off by the sophisticated glamour and visual daring that characterized the birth of cinema.