Veldhoven

Originally conceived as a play with musical accompaniment, Henry Purcell's 1691 King Arthur endures on the strength of its adventurous harmonies and appealing orchestration. Laying aside the Camelot legends, poet John Dryden framed the tale as the Christian King Arthur defending England against the pagan Saxons, and added colorful visitations by Greek and Norse deities to the plot.

This interpretation is very emotional and introspective, in turn conveying the intense hurt, the angst, the blind fury, the awe, and the final exaltation that one feels with when one is trying to come to terms with the decisions of the higher power. It felt like Ton Koopman had deliberately steered away from the grand orchestra mode and went with the more individualistic perspective, which was probably the unique twist that made me go back to it again and again. (Amazon customer)

With this recording, Contrasto Armonico continues its recording project of Handel’s Italian vocal works. The first release in the series, of the serenata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, was enthusiastically welcomed. ‘Everything is shaped intelligently and tellingly’, wrote the American Record Guide; Fonoforum called it a ‘lustvoll’ recording and noted the ‘very elegant, fluid and resonant style’ of Contrasto Armonico’s playing.

Brilliant Classics continues its famous Composer Edition series with one of the giants of the Baroque, George Frideric Handel, the celebrated German who settled in London. Having absorbed the German and Italian styles of his time he formed his own distinctive musical language, which, while following the current fashions and audience preferences, retained his own deep humanity and inner power.