Handel Creation

There is no shortage of recordings of this, Handel’s most popular orchestral work. It has been proffered in renditions with ensembles large and small, and warmly embraced by both period- and modern-instrument enthusiasts. There are even recordings of excerpts arranged early in the 20th century for “modern” symphony orchestra by the eminent Irish conductor and composer Sir Hamilton Harty. It was in this last incarnation that most of us baby boomers first encountered Handel’s marvelous creation. One of the interesting points found on this release comes in scans 11 and 12. They are the original versions—pitched in the key of F—of two movements usually performed as part of the sequence of pieces in D. Mackerras includes both the original and revised movements in their appropriate spots. I prefer Handel’s originals, as they bring down the curtain on the set of pieces in F with more of a feeling of finality than the D-Minor movement that usually rounds out the suite…
– Michael Carter, Fanfare

Even if you think the big "Rule, Britannia!" mood is the way to go with Handel, give a chance to Robert King's version of the Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, recorded with the King's Consort and its choir on the Hyperion label. Handel in this much-loved work set a poem in praise of music by John Dryden; between opening and closing stanzas that implicate music in the creation and the dissolution of the universe, Dryden penned evocative little portraits of individual instruments ("Sharp violins proclaim/Their jealous pangs and desperation/Fury, frantic indignation/Depth of pains, and height of passion/For the fair disdainful dame."). In a Baroque musical world that associated solo instrumental display primarily with the concerto form, setting this text was a tall order – and one Handel filled magnificently.

English conductor Harry Christophers was educated at the Canterbury Cathedral Choir School and Magdalen College, Oxford. He founded The Sixteen, the choral ensemble with their accompanying instrumental ensemble, in 1977. The Sixteen performs with an emphasis on early English polyphony, but also in a varied repertoire from the Renaissance to contemporary composers. He has led The Sixteen on tours throughout Europe, America, and the Far East, and on over 70 recordings.

Featuring Handel's substantial Neun Deutsche Arien (Nine German Arias), HWV 202-210, this engaging late-'80s Bis recording gives the composer's relatively neglected vocal chamber music the royal treatment. It is masterfully produced by the label's founder, Robert von Bahr, and realized with utmost love and expertise by soprano Christina Högman and I Quattro Temperamenti.

The early music ensemble Anthonello is named after the 14th century composer Anthonello da Caserta, and was founded with the view to performing early music in the spirit of the period. Each of the members is a soloist in her or his own right, and also has wide experience of performing with leading musicians in various parts of the world. Since its inception in 1994, the ensemble has gained a worldwide reputation for the excellence of its playing and for its interpretative flair.

Since it's founding in Freiburg in 1958, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi has been one of the most important and ambitious labels for period performances. Over decades, globally-acclaimed recordings were created with outstanding musicians. The limited edition "Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: 100 Great Recordings" contains 100 outstanding DHM recordings with some of the most important and best artists in their field: Nuria Rial, Dorothee Mields, Al Ayre Espanol, Hille Perl, Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Freiburger Barockorchester, Skip Sempé, Capriccio Stravagante, La Petite Bande, Gustav Leonhardt, Andrew Lawrence-King, Frieder Bernius, the Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, Thomas Hengelbrock and many others.