Advantages: Handel's music, Padmore's tonal beauty, excellent Manze & English Concert. Disadvantages: Too much uniformity in rhythm, volume and tone.
...British tenor Mark Padmore has stolen my heart with his sheer tonal beauty and cool, suave delivery on this disc of Handel arias, 'As steals the morn' from Harmonia Mundi. This recent release (4 February 2007 in the UK) is a collection of songs, recitatives and airs by German-born English composer, George Frideric Handel, taken from his operas, Alceste, Tamerlano and Rodelinda, and oratorios, Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Semele, Samson, Esther, Jephtha and L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.
ON MARK PADMORE’S SOOTHING TONAL BEAUTY (AND HIS LOOKS AREN'T TOO SHABBY, EITHER).
Mr Padmore sings with such ease and delicacy that every note becomes a soothing balm and a restorative for the droopy soul. Melismas (ornamental phrase of several notes sung to one syllable) are few and far between, and present small difficulty...
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Advantages: Awe inspiring memorable music. Disadvantages: Long - 2 hrs 20 mins
...Composed by George Frideric Handel
Lyrics compiled from the bible by Charles Jennens
Performed by Cambridge King's College Choir Academy of St Martin in the Fields directed by Sir Neville Marriner with James Bowman (Countertenor), Robert Tear (tenor), Benjamin Luxon (Bass)
Conducted by Sir David Willcocks
Label EMI
Price £15.99
Available in most good music stores
Handel is a German born English composer. He was born in Halle, Germany on 23rs February 1685. He first moved to London in 1710 settling there in 1712. He was eventually nationized English in 1726.
In 1741 Handel was invited to visit Dublin and give concerts in aid of charities there. In the same year Jennens sent Handel a religious text and Handel duly composed the music to Messiah (not The Messiah). It debutted in Dublin in 1742.
Messiah is the most famous...
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Advantages: Rich, creamy vocal; enveloping warmth; text, character alive; facile Baroque ornamentation; impeccable diction; fine Symphony. Disadvantages: Only over an hour of music here; wanted more!
...!)
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Notes:
*Melisma, roulade = a string of several notes sung to one syllable.
+For the Ciao police: this review has also been posted elsewhere in modified form by the author.+
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CD Notes:
SARAH CONNOLLY
HEROES and HEROINES
Georg Frideric Händel)
The Symphony of Harmony and Invention
Harry Christophers
Track List:
Alcina (Ruggiero)
* 1. Sinfonia (Act 3) 0.48
* 2. Sta nell' Ircana 5.39
* 3. Mi lusingha il dolce affetto 7.15
Solomon (Queen Of Sheba)
* 4. Sinfonia - 'Arrival Of The Queen Sheba' 3.00
* 5. Recit & Aria: Will The Sun Forget To Streak 6.36
Ariodante (Ariodante)
* 6. Sinfonia To Act 2 1.29
* 7. Recit & Aria: Scherza Infida 12.12
* 8. Dopo Notte 6.56
Alcina (Ruggiero)
* 9. Entrée Des Songes Agréables 2.35
* 10. Verdi Prati 4...
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22.06.2007
07.05.2007
