A wonderfully understated yet dramatic video debut by Mildred. An interesting counterpart to the more vigorous and more frequent peregrinations of Finster...
Thank you very very much Dave. I'm a Handel lover but snoped "l'allegro" because i heard long time ago a Version that I didn't like from the first aria (Gardiner). Now I found NELSON. Beautifull Beautifull singing and music 😊.
For the addicts of the wonderful duet "As steals the morn", I warmly recommend the version in the Handel recital by Mark Padmore on Harmonia Mundi (the duel is with the soprano Lucy Crowe). For me, who loves Handel more than any other composer, that Mark Padmore recital is an absolute gem. Mark Padmore is, to my point of view, the best Handelian tenor, with Richard Croft in Theodora. Enjoy !
I grew up with the King recording for 'as steals the morn' ( as part of a best of a best of Handel compilation) and the Christie is a bit perfunctory in comparison. What a ravishing duet this is!
A fantastic piece that frankly I knew only from the aria "As Steals the Morn". After watching Dave's review I sought out the complete piece and just listened to the Gardiner recording streaming on Presto, and voila! I have some new favorite Handel! The entire work is glorious. Luckily, I have a ticket to the Curtis Institute live performance under Nicholas McGegan this coming Sunday in Philadelphia.
If the alternative is manic depressives, or extremists of some sort or other, I think we could do with a few more Moderatos. I would have to go with John Nelson or Paul McCreesh. Glad to see you featuring this wonderful work!
I've always felt much happier with Christie in the French Baroque than any other school. Speaking of G&S tenors, I'd love to have heard Thomas Round in Handel. Not many people know it, but Round sang tenor in Beecham's recording of the complete Schumann Manfred under a nom du disque in between his Savoy gigs.
This type of work shows us to what extent Handel's invention was and remains inexhaustible. Of course today the choice of versions shows us that we are more and more interested in these works unknown some time ago. decades. by the way, there is another work by Handel which is in the same style...''il trionfo del tempo, a del desinganno'' hwv 46a, just as beautiful and interesting of which there is a very beautiful sung version by nathalie dessay, with emmanulle haim conducting on erato.l, tune ''quartetto, voglio tempo'' is irresistible in this work
This is a favorite work, but, based on your review, I;m not inclined to add it to my collection. Gardiner has served me well for decades now. And then there's the dinosaurs from the early stereo era--Wilcocks on English Decca and Waldman on American Decca. Both antiquated, but both special. Waldman has the best tenor of all--John McCollum, and a spoprano, Adele Addison, who never fails to send shivers up my spine in "Hide me from day's garish eye." But, alas, neither of those old recordings includes Handel's third part, which means no "As steals the morn." I guess they didn't want to mix Jennens with Milton. So I make due with Gardiner, though I'll have to check out King if I can find it. Thanks for the review.
I can only concur - this recording is a case of "good in parts", but not quite adding up to a whole. And as Dave points out, the breakneck speed in the duet is self-defeating. Luckily, the work has done well in the recording studio, and to Dave's list I would like to add the recording by John Nelson with excellent soloists (and, unusual these days in Handel, with a non-period orchestra).
I beg to differ. As beautiful as "As steals the morn" is, Handel's greatest duet in all his output in no matter what genre is "Io t'abbraccio" from the 2nd act of Rodelinda.
Handel has written other beautiful duets, but what gives "As steals the morn" its specific flavour is the perfect agreement of the music with the words, expressing the Age of Enlightment ("So truth does fancy's charm dissolve and melts the shades away"), far from the "sins" and "misery" of another great composer born the same year !
I don't think that Christie has done the proper research to perform the piece. He never does when outside the French repertoire. I would always go to McCreesh, or for superb singing, Wilcocks.
Dave, who knew you were such a virtuoso whistler? More please!
A wonderfully understated yet dramatic video debut by Mildred. An interesting counterpart to the more vigorous and more frequent peregrinations of Finster...
Thank you very very much Dave. I'm a Handel lover but snoped "l'allegro" because i heard long time ago a Version that I didn't like from the first aria (Gardiner). Now I found NELSON. Beautifull Beautifull singing and music 😊.
For the addicts of the wonderful duet "As steals the morn", I warmly recommend the version in the Handel recital by Mark Padmore on Harmonia Mundi (the duel is with the soprano Lucy Crowe). For me, who loves Handel more than any other composer, that Mark Padmore recital is an absolute gem. Mark Padmore is, to my point of view, the best Handelian tenor, with Richard Croft in Theodora. Enjoy !
I have this recording of Padmore and it is a real gem.
I grew up with the King recording for 'as steals the morn' ( as part of a best of a best of Handel compilation) and the Christie is a bit perfunctory in comparison. What a ravishing duet this is!
A fantastic piece that frankly I knew only from the aria "As Steals the Morn". After watching Dave's review I sought out the complete piece and just listened to the Gardiner recording streaming on Presto, and voila! I have some new favorite Handel! The entire work is glorious. Luckily, I have a ticket to the Curtis Institute live performance under Nicholas McGegan this coming Sunday in Philadelphia.
If the alternative is manic depressives, or extremists of some sort or other, I think we could do with a few more Moderatos.
I would have to go with John Nelson or Paul McCreesh. Glad to see you featuring this wonderful work!
I've always felt much happier with Christie in the French Baroque than any other school.
Speaking of G&S tenors, I'd love to have heard Thomas Round in Handel. Not many people know it, but Round sang tenor in Beecham's recording of the complete Schumann Manfred under a nom du disque in between his Savoy gigs.
This type of work shows us to what extent Handel's invention was and remains inexhaustible. Of course today the choice of versions shows us that we are more and more interested in these works unknown some time ago. decades. by the way, there is another work by Handel which is in the same style...''il trionfo del tempo, a del desinganno'' hwv 46a, just as beautiful and interesting of which there is a very beautiful sung version by nathalie dessay, with emmanulle haim conducting on erato.l, tune ''quartetto, voglio tempo'' is irresistible in this work
Mildred on a thumbnail is clickbait that works for me.
Dave, what are your thoughts on the Neumann recording?
This is a favorite work, but, based on your review, I;m not inclined to add it to my collection. Gardiner has served me well for decades now. And then there's the dinosaurs from the early stereo era--Wilcocks on English Decca and Waldman on American Decca. Both antiquated, but both special. Waldman has the best tenor of all--John McCollum, and a spoprano, Adele Addison, who never fails to send shivers up my spine in "Hide me from day's garish eye." But, alas, neither of those old recordings includes Handel's third part, which means no "As steals the morn." I guess they didn't want to mix Jennens with Milton. So I make due with Gardiner, though I'll have to check out King if I can find it. Thanks for the review.
Please, can you review recordings of Pygmalion ensemble directed by Raphael Pichon. Thanks in advance.
I can only concur - this recording is a case of "good in parts", but not quite adding up to a whole. And as Dave points out, the breakneck speed in the duet is self-defeating. Luckily, the work has done well in the recording studio, and to Dave's list I would like to add the recording by John Nelson with excellent soloists (and, unusual these days in Handel, with a non-period orchestra).
Yes, Nelson is very fine too.
I beg to differ. As beautiful as "As steals the morn" is, Handel's greatest duet in all his output in no matter what genre is "Io t'abbraccio" from the 2nd act of Rodelinda.
OK, one of his two greatest duets...
I'd add 'Per le Porte del Tormento' from 'Sosarme' to that!:-)
Handel has written other beautiful duets, but what gives "As steals the morn" its specific flavour is the perfect agreement of the music with the words, expressing the Age of Enlightment ("So truth does fancy's charm dissolve and melts the shades away"), far from the "sins" and "misery" of another great composer born the same year !
I don't think that Christie has done the proper research to perform the piece. He never does when outside the French repertoire.
I would always go to McCreesh, or for superb singing, Wilcocks.