(The) Magnificent Mr Handel

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... Read review

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Advantages: Some great original work
Disadvantages: Somewtracks

...Pieces in a modern style, what is that you may say. Well, Mr Orbit, of Madonna production fame has reworked 11 classical pieces of music, using today’s electronic equipment. Oh my god, you could shriek, Heathen, philistine, butcher. Ahhhhh, go all the classical music lovers. Well that is one reaction, here is a more considered one. Does this work? Well the answer is partly, of course the single from this Album was Adagio for strings, that haunting piece by Barber, famously used by Platoon and the reworking of this track works, because it sticks closely to the original, although synthesised violins cannot match the real stuff. Other pieces include those by Beethoven, Vivaldi and Handel, and these are better as there has been some real re-working of the music to make it fit a modern style. There are some other lesser known... Read review

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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 and most loved... Read review

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