Judas

Judas Maccabaeus (HWV 63) is an oratorio in three acts composed in 1746 by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto written by Thomas Morell. The oratorio was devised as a compliment to the victorious Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland upon his return from the Battle of Culloden (16 April 1746).

Judas Maccabäus is one of Handel’s most impressive and successful works. More than 50 performances took place in Handel’s lifetime. The integration of the libretto with the conflict between the Scottish Jacobites under the leadership of the catholic Stuart pretender Charles Edward and the royalist government troops played a crucial role in this. The original libretto tells the story of the struggle of the Jews against the rule of the Seleucids. Handel portrays the plot with colourful arias, touching laments and exultant triumph choruses.

Surely a Judas Maccabaeus recorded on modern instruments nearly twenty years ago is one to ignore? Well, no. Charles Mackerras is one of music’s fresher minds, and he has always favoured incisive rhythms, clear textures, light bowing and carefully varied articulation in Baroque music. The ECO responds with verve to the wondrous grace and variety of Handel’s music. The late Russell Burgess’s Wandsworth School Choir is an eloquent testament of what is possible in an inner-city comprehensive given will-power and a gifted enough teacher.

The King’s Consort, with many of our new, second-generation period instrumentalists, exhibits all the benefits of authentic timbre and texture – there is no need nowadays to make allowances for uneven tone or bad intonation. The New College Choir are spot-on, poignant in mourning, exultant in victory. The whole ensemble is recorded over a wide stereo spectrum which leaves every detail clearly audible. Emma Kirkby’s ‘Israelitish Woman’ enlivens even the most pedestrian numbers. Catherine Denley contrasts but blends in their five duets, and has great facility over an impressive range. Bowman is superb in ‘Father of Heav’n’. Jamie MacDougall rises to the virtuoso challenge of the warlike hero, and Michael George focuses with no less clarity as Simon. Any weaknesses in this, the first ever complete recording, are Handel’s.

This collection encapsulates Judas Priest's debut (ROCKA ROLLA) and a majority of their classic sophomore album (SAD WINGS OF DESTINY) for Gull Records, along with an early version of "Diamonds and Rust," and mixes them all up in the running order. Seeing as it's missing "Epitaph," "Island of Domination" and the immortal "Ripper" from SAD WINGS, this CD does not allow one to get the band's first two albums in one package. However, the ROCKA ROLLA tracks have been remixed (some fans argue that they are better) and the title track re-edited, and those changes along with the track arrangement and fantasy-inspired cover art make this package worthwhile for obsessive collectors, even though the gatefold vinyl edition was actually more visually striking…

The Best of Judas Priest is a collection of a few select songs from Judas Priest's first two albums, and was released under Gull, the band's former record label…

Cet oratorio postérieur au Messie passe pour avoir conservé les faveurs du public depuis sa création en 1747. Pourtant il n’existe actuellement que deux versions enregistrées disponibles, dont une seule sur instruments baroques. La sortie de cet enregistrement live de 2006, avec toute la technique la plus sophistiquée du moment, fait donc figure d’événement.