Lorie

"Alexander Balus" has a poor reputation that is at least partly undeserved. Although the plot is adapted from Macabees, the title suggests its basis in history. This makes it an anomaly among Handel’s dramatic oratorios, whose sources are usually Greek myth or the Bible. The title also makes it easy to confuse it with one of the operas. What sticks most in memory is that it’s not supposed to be very good, and for that reason I ignored it for a long time while building my Handel collection. When I finally decided to check it out I was pleasantly surprised.

Five By Design’s signature harmonies have withstood the test of time in a career that stands out on America’s musical landscape, spanning more than twenty years. This nationally-acclaimed vocal ensemble has been the choice of symphony orchestras and performing art centers delighting hundreds of thousands.

20th Century Masters offers up a straightforward run through Siouxsie & the Banshees' greatest hits, effectively boiling the Once/Twice Upon a Time singles collections down to one disc. It's a well-executed job, as well – without a keen memory for every U.K. single the band released, it's difficult to pinpoint where the omissions fall. From "Hong Kong Garden" to "Face to Face," the entire spellbinding scope of Bansheedom is laid bare and, if the later years (from "Peek A Boo" onwards) receive short shrift, then that is only as it should be. The innovation that shone through the band's earliest singles was a rare gift indeed; 20th Century Masters allows everyone to share in it, and at a budget price, as well!

‘Faramondo’ was produced in 1738 at the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket after the collapse of the rival Opera of the Nobility. This means that, unlike some of his Covent Garden operas which were produced whilst his rivals performed at the King’s Theatre, ‘Faramondo’ was written for a superb cast which included the bass Antonio Montagnana sang the role of King Gustavo and the castrato Carestini (making his London debut) in the title role. Writing for such fine singers means that Handel takes for granted the ability to sing virtuoso passages. In fact, singers would have expected to be able to display their talents in the requisite number of arias. These arias were crafted (or fine tuned) once the cast was known, so that they take advantage of the best points of a singer’s voice. King Gustavo’s arias takes good advantage of Montagnana’s amazing range and all the singers would have expected the divisions to lie in the best part of their voices.