by Charlotte GardnerHarmonia Mundi's contribution to Handel's 250th anniversary wins both the size and luxury prizes hands down. They have cherry-picked a selection of Handel recordings for re-release, packaging them into five limited edition luxury box sets (which can be bought separately) - Operas, Oratorios, Famous Arias, Arias for…, and Concertos. I must confess to a certain amount of Handel fatigue as we near the end of his 250th anniversary year, but my eyes grew as round as gobstoppers when this lot landed on my desk.
With five box sets to cover, this review can only deal in the broadest of brushstrokes if it isn't to end up a War and Peace-sized epistle. This in mind, wasting precious words on the packaging may seem like lunacy but these boxes are things of beauty. Its rare that a CD case is an actual pleasure to hold in ones hands but these, with their flappable CD envelopes of black card, and smooth exteriors printed with scenes from Hogarth and the like, are extremely (worryingly, some might say) stroke-able.
The Operas set presents nine CDs of René Jacobs conducting complete performances of Rinaldo (Freiberger Barockorchester), Giulio Cesare (Concerto Köln), and Flavio (Ensemble 415). These are energised performances that bring the operas to life, particularly Jennifer Larmore's performance as Giulio Cesare. In addition, there are five bonus tracks of duets and cantatas, performed to great effect by the Concerto Vocale. A further CD carries the pdfs of all three libretti in Italian and German (Rinaldo/Giulio Cesare) and Italian and French (Flavio).
Oratorios features ovation-deserving performances of Messiah and Saul, also directed by René Jacobs. Saul is performed by Concerto Köln, the RIAS Kammerchor and a line-up of soloists including Rosemary Joshua, Laurence Zazzo and Gidon Saks. Messiah is performed by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, and the Freiberger Barockorchester with soloists Kerstin Avemo, Patricia Bardon, Lawrence Zazzo, Kobie van Rensburg and Neal Davies. Aside from the wonderful solo numbers, these are period performances of the finest order, sparkling with stylish energy and full of conviction.
Two of the box sets deal with arias alone, the first being Famous Arias, superbly performed by Lorraine Hunt, Dorothea Röschmann, Andreas Scholl and Mark Padmore, each of whom take a disc. For those interested in how the dramatic and vocal strengths and weaknesses of Handel's singers shaped his music, then the four Arias For… recitals, each centred on a different Handelian singer-superstar, are unmissable. Francesca Cuzzoni, Margherita Durastanti, Francesco Bernardi Senesino and Antonio Montagnana are represented by, respectively, Lisa Saffer, Lorraine Hunt, Drew Minter and David Thomas, in recitals replete with drama, virtuosity, variety and beauty.
Last, but by no means least, is Concertos, featuring concerti grossi op. 6 and 3, plus the Organ concertos op.4. These are performed by the Academy of Ancient Music, Andrew Manze and Richard Egarr, and their virtuosic performances combine crisp, vigorous delivery with heart-touching warmth.
This is a collection I will be returning to with great pleasure for many years to come.
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