Hyperbole aside there's much to be said for the statement that Handel was the finest composer for the voice of the baroque period - certainly the most versatile. He's also just so bloody entertaining and makes Bach's vocal writing seem as dry as dust! I fell in love with his Italian Cantatas courtesy of Emma Kirkby ( Tu fedel? tu costante? is a delicious piece) and also her rendition from the aforementioned L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato of Sweet Bird that shun’st the noise of folly, with it's lovely obligato flute. I always get goosebumps listening to Where shall I fly? from Hercules (Anne Sofie von Otter is thrilling here but so is Joyce DiDonato) What a composer!
I don't think I've ever seen you enjoy a chunk of repertoire more! Excellent talk. Sadly, sort of, I only had 3 of your selections, though I had different versions of all of them. So another twelve purchases then :( !! Great stuff. Thank you for it as always.
Wonderful video! Just to add a few cents of my own: I can’t think of Theodora without thinking of the great Lorraine Hunt, whom I happened to know since I grew up in Berkeley; I first saw her as Golde in the Berkeley High School production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1972. I later played some orchestra gigs with her where she played viola and I played cello. Anyway, as you know she transformed from a soprano to a mezzo in the course of her all-too-brief career, and as a result she recorded both female roles in Theodora, doing a magnificent job in both the McGegan recording as Theodora and in the Peter Sellars-directed DVD as Irene. But what I really want to recommend is her album of Handel Arias with Harry Bicket, in which she does Irene’s arias, which is one of the very greatest albums of vocal music ever made and is perhaps the best single document of her sublime artistry. In any case, yes, I agree it’s perhaps Handel’s greatest work. But to go on, as we must: While I agree that McGegan’s Judas Maccabaeus is the one to get for the complete work (and I also have personal associations with that and the Susanna recording since I sang in the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus for a couple of years), I would also recommend for kicks and grins that everyone check out the title character’s arias as sung by Jan Peerce, which of course is completely un-HIP but has the stentorian quality one would expect of an actual cantor. It’s got that Moishe Oysher vibe. I would recommend to novices that they consider the compact two-part version of Israel in Egypt and The Ways of Zion do Mourn as separate works. If you’re listening to the latter impatiently waiting to get to the cool part with the plagues you’re doing both works a disservice. The Ways of Zion should be listened to with the attitude and expectation one brings to a requiem, and indeed Mozart’s Requiem was highly influenced by this piece, as you can tell by comparing the openings of both opening choruses. (I like the Robert King recording.) I hope everyone who listens to L’Allegro etc also watches the video of Mark Morris’s dance interpretation of the work. Both are masterpieces of their kind. There’s also a great video of Amanda Forsythe singing “Sweet Bird” with the great traverso player Emi Ferguson that you should check out. As for Solomon, while I appreciate the Gardiner recording, he makes some cuts that deprive us of some fun music, so I would recommend the McCreesh recording for the full experience and magnificent sound. Interesting you chose the Rene Jacobs recording of Saul. I feel like that’s a piece that, to paraphrase Arthur Schnabel, is better than it could ever be performed; I’ve listened to every recording out there and I feel like the ideal version hasn’t been made yet. But I suppose Jacobs will give you a good idea of what it can be, since his audacity matches the material. I also think that it’s possible that Esther belongs in the company of elite oratorios and the right recording of the right version and edition hasn’t been made yet. Everyone opts for the chamber version but I suspect that it’s the big-budget version that Handel thought of as the definitive one. And also, if you’re into Handel setting gory texts, listen to the Brockes Passion while following the libretto. He’s got all the bodily fluids covered. And it’s also perhaps the masterpiece of his early-ish style. Anyway - I am delighted to discover your work and will check out more of your videos!
The live 1985 Semele at Carnegie Hall with a very similar cast to the DG recording is one of the greatest live performances of anything I have ever heard. The audience went nuts and the singing was spectacular
These are great choices and coincide largely with mine, except for "Samson" (John Butt), "Solomon" (Daniel Reuss on Harmonia Mundi) and "Israel in Egypt" (Parrott). Handel's Oratorios are a wonderful antidote to the abstraction and obsession with human mortality in Bach.
I am fortunate to have the Archiv 2 LP (2708 020) of the Mackerras Israel in Egypt since the CDs are out-of-print and it is not available on Spotify. One of the reasons I still use my Dual 508! My go to CD of Israel in Egypt is the Aradia Ensemble, Kevin Mallon on Naxos. Great choral performances. In fact I like all of Mallon's Handel. Naxos never fails to amaze me! On a side note, the first LP my wife gave me as a gift in 1978 was the Leppard Messiah on RCA. Still treasure it!
I think this is one of your best talks. The kind of style that I like, for classical music . Makes a change from some of those snooty people we get on BBC Radio 3!
Other two recommendations: 1) "Esther", the light and modest version of Cannons in 1718; it was his first English oratorio and it shares the musical character and genius of the contemporary semi-staged pastoral serenata "Acis and Galatea". My favorite rendition is that of Christophers with The Sixteen for his seal Coro. 2) "Samson", written immediately after "Messiah", is a deep and compelling work with very personal and profound scenes; a still seeing Handel writes some foreboding and moving music for a blind character. Again, Christopher's version is my choice, but there are some other nice recordings out there.
David is the Jackie Mason of classical music. I love watching his vids every day. He makes me laugh out loud. He reminds me of my Jewish relatives in Boca.
I do not live in Boca but I actually live in Del Boca Vista, Phase 2. We have a view of Boca. I actually have my Elaine Seinfeld refridgerator from 1993 in Harvest Gold- I refuse to remove it. It is a collectors item.
Congratulations, Dave, for that very interesting and detailed video. My main additional comment would be that the final chorus of Esther (Hogwood version) is one of Handel's most gorgeous pieces of music !
Came for the reviews, stayed for the stand up comedy. Laughed out loud when he mentioned the Harmonia Mundi road tour with snacks....particularly the Susanna canapés.
For Theodora I prefer McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort over Christie and Les Arts Florissants. I’m not a HIPster by any means but I find I always enjoy McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort’s work.
Despite the ridiculous stage production, my favourite version is that in a DVD, with Christie and the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment at Glyndebourne festival, starring Dawn Upshaw, David Daniels and the late Lorraine Hunt. It's a FABULOUS rendition, if you are able to ignore the stupid stage setting by Peter Sellars.
Now, THIS is why we love your videos, Prof.! I think you love your Handel almost as much as I do 🤗. It’s wise of you to restrict the list to 15, because it won’t put off a newbie, and anyone who creeps close to the fifteenth will by then be so hooked, they will certainly move on to the sixteenth, seventeenth and so on until they have them all! The one I most regret is missing from your 15 (though I can understand why) is ‘Alexander Balus’ (again, as recorded by Robert King) - the aria ‘Hark he strikes the golden lyre’ with its fantastic plucked accompaniment is unsurpassed in beauty of sound. Now do the opera please!
Great selections, not only for the "cream" of Handel's delicious oratorio and oratorio-like compositions, but also for the particular performances. I could not agree with you more concerning the great "mad" aria from Hercules, "Where Shall I Fly?" Though not from a performance of the oratorio itself, Magdalena Kozena's rendition of the same aria with the Venice Baroque Orchestra is particularly horrifying! As always, Mr. Hurwitz, a superb and intelligent conversation!
I will take this opportunity to plug David's book on Handel since he didn't. I bought it a few months ago and have only skimmed it so far. It looks great. There are overviews of the major operas, oratorios and other works, and some things to listen for which are linked with timings in a compilation Harmonia Mundi CD of tracks from various works that comes with the book. I have a lot of Handel recordings, including many that are recommended in the book, but don't know many of them as well as I would like to. After I clear my new acquisition CD pile shortly, I am going to use the book to go through my Handel recordings again and perhaps add a few.
Thanks for the plug. FYI, the CD is from Harmonia Mundi. It's available from the publisher, Rowman and Littlefield, if you can't find it on Amazon or some other place.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks. I knew it was Harmonia Mundi but had a brain cramp. I'll correct my post. The book was available on Amazon as of 3 months or so ago.
Another fascinating video, many thanks. Karl Richter's Samson is well worth hearing (sadly often OOP) as is Mackerras' Judas Maccabaeus (on par with his Saul IMHO). Did not know Mackerras had recorded Israel in Egypt *makes space on shelf*
I know David isn't a video fan but I have to give a shout out to the Glyndebourne video of Theodora, conducted by William Christie with magnificent singing from Lorraine Hunt, David Daniels and Dawn Upshaw. Video or cd, I totally agree re. the musical quality of the work, breathtaking and unlike anything else I've met in Handel. Also, talk of Hercules recalls that aria where Dejanira exorts the hero to 'Resign thy club'. Audiences in NYC and London might be forgiven for believing he's been blackballed by the Knickerbocker or Boodles.
Thanks for the tip. I'm a guy on a budget and the Christie CDs (even used) were outrageously priced. But a used DVD came in at under $10, and to get Loraine Hunt I will put up with any visual madness (not to mention getting William Christie and LAF, whose Rameau I love). But I can handle a lot when it comes to staging. Back in 2009, I saw a Gluck Armida at the Komische Oper in Berlin, and the staging included about 30 naked men (all prisoners captured by Armida, who spurns love). Not quite what I had expected, flying in from the US with no clue about the staging, but I made the requisite adjustment, and I am glad to have heard any Armida in concert. And the music was terrific!
@@robertkunath1854 It's a Sellars production. In my experience that's more of a plus than a minus, although those who insist on spears, cheesecloth and sandals for any opera plot set in a period prior to the 10th century AD will disagree. Even those people surely would applaud his stage direction. All singers act superbly and I've seldom seen a chorus so realistically involved in what they're portraying.
Maestro Hurwitz, in your Repertoire videos I really have learned a lot from the educational contents before the CD recommendations. It's like a mini course for each music piece. You may want to make an alternative IDEAL list for these body of works, in which you can allow for repetitions of conductors---I think there are interests in the lists that represent your absolute favorite recordings for each body of work. And it helps people to buy 3 or 4 discs instead of 15 discs, for example.
I did repeat conductors in this list (King, McGegan, Christie, Christophers) and talked about several others as options (Mackerras, Gardiner), and of course you can get as many of them as you please (as I said). No reason to buy 15 just because that's the number of pieces I listed.
Thanks, even more enjoyable than usual. I thought I knew a bit about Handel but new realise I’m a beginner. Did you know that Handel and Bach were both operated on by the same quack eye surgeon John Taylor and as a result lost what little vision they had beforehand?
A wonderful review. Maybe just two boxes I take the liberty to add here. There is a wonderful (now unavailable) box by Decca called "Handel: The Great Oratorios". Then there is a cheap box called "GFH: Rare Oratorios" (PurPre) recorded by German forces. Nevertheless, I still prefer individual sets to boxes as they usually contain proper notes and complete texts (essential here).
A request to DH: could you give us a video on a top dozen or so baroque opera/oratorio works? Of course they would be favorites of yours, but, as you have seen, your listeners take your recommendations seriously. I recall that one of your top boxed sets was the Harmonia Mundi baroque opera set, but selected individual works would interest me a lot. And if, by chance, you knew of a good DVD, that would not come amiss. Thanks for the excellent Handel recommendations, not one of which I had (though I hope Gardiner and Leppard versions of Israel in Egypt and Samson are not wholly beneath consideration). One question: I have strongly sympathized with your critiques of HIP performances, but almost all of our recorded baroque repertoire (a chunk of which I have) is, as you note, a creation of the HIP ensembles. Are there any deficiencies in that approach, in terms of ensemble composition or documented performance practice (as opposed to treatises)? I know I would never spurn excellent musicians playing on modern instruments!
Gawd , there are so many and Ive always wanted to know what else was out there besides Maccabeus, Israel in Aegypte,Milton's L'Allegro! I'll try Esther and Athalia first . Joan Sutherland and my beloved Emma Kirby . Like Bach he used one piece and would suit its scoring and put it in another work .
Hello Dave, thanks for your survey. I discovered it after forming my own collection of oratorios - which happens to coincide, by and large, with your list! I have a question about Jephtha, if I may: what's your opinion on the Harnoncourt version, especially w.r.t. Creed and Christophers? Thanks.
Bravo! Your thorough coverage of these incomparably great masterworks is greatly appreciated. I agreed with your picks mostly, though I find the Christophers version of Samson disappointing, in part because Thomas Randle doesn't do justice to his great role, either vocally or dramatically. The best assumption of that role was Alexander Young on the old Richter recording (which has some great choral contributions as well--very dramatic, if rather "Germanic"). Samson awaits a recording that does full justice to the drama and the seductiveness of this tremendous score. I'd also like to point out that MacKerras did a superb recording of Judas Maccabaeus, fully the equal of his near-definitive Saul and Israel. Thanks again for taking up my suggestion. Handel may well be the greatest composer of all time for the human voice.
Regarding Samson: as far as I can tell, THAT is the longest of Handel's oratorios (more than three hours). And it's my favorite one - though all the others are also just great, of course. Raymond Leppard's recording is, to me, still the best one out there, but I also like Butt's Dunedin reading on Linn.
@@im2801ok Yes, Samson is an amazing work, despite Milton's occasional bouts of misogyny--"Tis God's unalterable Law, etc." (one is almost embarrassed by the beauty of Handel's setting of this lamentable text!). In any case the Leppard reording is fine, not least because of Janet Baker's Dalilah, though Tear is a mixed blessing in the title role. Do you know the Karl Richter recording? Much vilified for its Germanic sobriety, it nevertheless has almost startlingly intense choral singing from the Munich Bach choir (and pretty good English diction, too), and a cast of soloists that, in my estimation, has never been surpassed in this work. I don't know the Butt recording, though I know he and his consort have received rave reviews for many of their recordings. I think my own personal favorite among Handel's oratorios is Solomon. Musically speaking, it's the richest. The love music in Part One is nothing short of sublime, and those fabulous double choruses are eartheringly great. And Sheba's final aria, "Shall the sun forget to streak. . ." is one of those pieces whose beauty can evoke tears. But Samson may be no. 2 on my list. "O first created beam" from that work is another one that moves me greatly. Isn't Handel wonderful?
It's a shame that Handel, for many, begins and ends with Messiah (which fully deserves the love and respect it gets). Discovering the op6 Concerti grossi in my late 20s was a huge ear-opener for me. That led to other treasures, such as Jephtha and Saul. Thanks for another stimulating review!
Unfortunately, this observation is too true. So many truly don't know what joy they're missing. I first heard Handel when I was about eight years old. It was a performance of Messiah on the radio. After that, I was hooked for life.
I can't say I know all of these, but having listened to the (JEG) Hercules, I think it's pretty hard to beat. Above all, this music is so SEXY! L'Allegro...is also a favourite (again JEG I'm afraid). Looking forward to exploring some alternative performances.
Fine selections; where to make the cut? Personally, I couldn't do without 'Alexander's Feast,' chock-full of vivid musical scene-setting. I will always prefer the recording by Alfred Deller, because you never forget your first love and that's when I fell for Handel. (Deller, to his credit, has the best, most propulsive Act 2 intro, and he maintains the rhyme in 'the snakes as they rear, how they hiss in their hair.' Also Max Worthley's virile tenor. And he pronounces 'Thais' correctly, /THAY-is/ not /THAH-is/) Likewise, the version of 'Theodora' directed by the late Johannes Somary, the first recording - ever. I still prefer his tempos, as well as the baritone John Lawrenson. Somary was a pioneer in recording 'Jephtha,' too. My favorite moment in 'Solomon' - out of so many moments - is the First Harlot's tender lullaby to her newly-restored son, "Beneath the Vine or Fig Tree's Shade." I always tear up. Ledger's version of "Saul" has the best 'Dead March' I've heard, indeed the whole last act is soul-wrenching. Final question: am I mistaken in thinking that singers today have forgotten how to deliver the arioso recitative introductions? They feel rushed and almost thrown away.
I like young Handel best, he's more adventurous IMO. So I prefer La Resurrezione and Dixit Dominus to later English works, even thought I like quite a bit of music in those as well
It seems to me from a couple of videos that you don’t like countertenors, Mr. Hurwitz. Is there a particular reason why? Thanks for the wonderful recommendations!
Because, until relatively recently, most of them sounded horrible. They were simply male alto church choristers with threadbare voices, not rich-toned opera singers, but now there are some out there who make a more plausible impression.
Do you love Purcell? I'm on a Purcell kick and find myself continually astounded at the beauty and brilliance of his music. He could do it all; there's something for everyone in his music. BTW I agree with you completely on Hercules, Belshazzar (the overture's my fave of them all), and Semele. Those recordings are must listens.
I'm not much of a Purcell fan, although there are some things that I love. I think his reputation is exaggerated, as usual, in the UK, where he was a big fish in a small pond. Some of my reservations aren't his fault at all--the style of the day, especially in instrumental music, was so short-winded.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I agree with you about Purcell, and England's overestimation of his worth, albeit there are some beautiful and historically significant works. William Byrd on the other hand, for example, is still too neglected, and deserves far greater lauding.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Haha very good David. I think Byrd is a magnificent composer. Delighted you have done a forty minute run through of the treasures of Handel Oratorios, your breadth of knowledge in different repertoires is so impressive, look forward to your next talks.
Deller might not have been a great singer, but apparently he was good at repartee (which I guess he had to be, as a pioneer in the countertenor revival). A German woman at a concert asked him, "You are eunuch, Herr Deller?". He replied, "I'm sure you mean unique, Madam!"
Haha, they're gonna fume for what you said about Deller and Bowman, but I agree completely, their falsetto is cringy and intolerable by today's standards. Yet, to their credit, they are kind of THE pioneers in the counter-tenor HIP revival (if you don't count the out-too-soon Eberlin), and maybe we wouldn't have those standards now if it weren't for them and other cringy early masters of the trend, like Esswood or Jacobs. Certainly, they sound good when in good shape, but sometimes it was like something out of a Monty Python cross-dressing sketch.
Yes, but Handel usually asked for female singers when he couldn't find a good castrato. The sex of the singer was irrelevant. What mattered was range and technique. The fashion for using countertenors almost exclusively in these works is a purely modern conceit.
As you mentioned I found most impressive in "Belshazzar" where three peoples (pious Israelites, decadent Babylonians and pagan, but noble Persians who conquer Babylon and eventually liberate the Israelites to go home and rebuild the temple) are characterized by their choral parts. I have the Pinnock which is very good (and has a gloriously goofy cover with flying golden breastplate). Mackerras also made a very good "Judas Maccabaeus" for Archiv, modern instruments but historicall informed for its day, I prefer this to his Israel in Egypt (but then I find the latter overall a rather flawed piece). I also prefer Gardiner's "Solomon" but it is slightly abridged (maybe to fit on two discs), so the hardcore fan needs another one (McCreesh or maybe Christophers has done it as well).
Hey Dave. Thanks so much. Now I'm Scottish, despite my Jewish sounding name as you know, so I'm never really going to like the circa 1746 oratorios much. Maybe its funny that Handel would do anything for money. I find some of his other oratorios rather marvellous though. The Book of Joshua though, which I was trying to fall asleep to with David Suchet reading it rather marvellously the other night (he is very good at bible readings if you don't know!) is appalling. There's no other way around it, its just God telling the children of Israel to exterminate people here there and then there and then there and there and then there and there and there (I am not exaggerating). So haha how commercially astute Handel was and what a great orchestrator and so on. But there's no way nowadays (perhaps particularly this week) that we should give anything like a pass to these sanitisations of violence. Its not fun "Hammer Horror" I'm afraid.
For your reference:
Athalia - Hogwood(Decca)
Belshazzar - Christie(Arts Florissants)
Hercules - Minkowski(Archiv)
Israel in Egypt - Mackerras(Archiv)
Jephtha - Christophers(Coro)
Joshua - King(Hyperion)
Judas Maccabaeus - McGegan(Harmonia Mundi)
L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, ed Il Moderato - King(Hyperion)
Messiah - Colin Davis/LSO(Philips)
Samson - Christophers(Coro)
Saul - Jacobs(Harmonia Mundi)
Semele - Nelson(DG)
Solomon - Gardiner(Philips)
Susanna - McGegan(Harmonia Mundi)
Theodora - Christie(Erato)
Hyperbole aside there's much to be said for the statement that Handel was the finest composer for the voice of the baroque period - certainly the most versatile. He's also just so bloody entertaining and makes Bach's vocal writing seem as dry as dust! I fell in love with his Italian Cantatas courtesy of Emma Kirkby ( Tu fedel? tu costante? is a delicious piece) and also her rendition from the aforementioned L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato of Sweet Bird that shun’st the noise of folly, with it's lovely obligato flute. I always get goosebumps listening to Where shall I fly? from Hercules (Anne Sofie von Otter is thrilling here but so is Joyce DiDonato) What a composer!
Absolutely true! Handel's genius boggles the mind.
I don't think I've ever seen you enjoy a chunk of repertoire more! Excellent talk. Sadly, sort of, I only had 3 of your selections, though I had different versions of all of them. So another twelve purchases then :( !! Great stuff. Thank you for it as always.
Ditto, ditto! Though thankfully I have only had to add seven to my wanted list.
@@KingOuf1er same boat here. 7 more albums on my wishlist 👍🏾
Wonderful video! Just to add a few cents of my own:
I can’t think of Theodora without thinking of the great Lorraine Hunt, whom I happened to know since I grew up in Berkeley; I first saw her as Golde in the Berkeley High School production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1972. I later played some orchestra gigs with her where she played viola and I played cello. Anyway, as you know she transformed from a soprano to a mezzo in the course of her all-too-brief career, and as a result she recorded both female roles in Theodora, doing a magnificent job in both the McGegan recording as Theodora and in the Peter Sellars-directed DVD as Irene. But what I really want to recommend is her album of Handel Arias with Harry Bicket, in which she does Irene’s arias, which is one of the very greatest albums of vocal music ever made and is perhaps the best single document of her sublime artistry. In any case, yes, I agree it’s perhaps Handel’s greatest work.
But to go on, as we must:
While I agree that McGegan’s Judas Maccabaeus is the one to get for the complete work (and I also have personal associations with that and the Susanna recording since I sang in the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus for a couple of years), I would also recommend for kicks and grins that everyone check out the title character’s arias as sung by Jan Peerce, which of course is completely un-HIP but has the stentorian quality one would expect of an actual cantor. It’s got that Moishe Oysher vibe.
I would recommend to novices that they consider the compact two-part version of Israel in Egypt and The Ways of Zion do Mourn as separate works. If you’re listening to the latter impatiently waiting to get to the cool part with the plagues you’re doing both works a disservice. The Ways of Zion should be listened to with the attitude and expectation one brings to a requiem, and indeed Mozart’s Requiem was highly influenced by this piece, as you can tell by comparing the openings of both opening choruses. (I like the Robert King recording.)
I hope everyone who listens to L’Allegro etc also watches the video of Mark Morris’s dance interpretation of the work. Both are masterpieces of their kind. There’s also a great video of Amanda Forsythe singing “Sweet Bird” with the great traverso player Emi Ferguson that you should check out.
As for Solomon, while I appreciate the Gardiner recording, he makes some cuts that deprive us of some fun music, so I would recommend the McCreesh recording for the full experience and magnificent sound.
Interesting you chose the Rene Jacobs recording of Saul. I feel like that’s a piece that, to paraphrase Arthur Schnabel, is better than it could ever be performed; I’ve listened to every recording out there and I feel like the ideal version hasn’t been made yet. But I suppose Jacobs will give you a good idea of what it can be, since his audacity matches the material.
I also think that it’s possible that Esther belongs in the company of elite oratorios and the right recording of the right version and edition hasn’t been made yet. Everyone opts for the chamber version but I suspect that it’s the big-budget version that Handel thought of as the definitive one.
And also, if you’re into Handel setting gory texts, listen to the Brockes Passion while following the libretto. He’s got all the bodily fluids covered. And it’s also perhaps the masterpiece of his early-ish style.
Anyway - I am delighted to discover your work and will check out more of your videos!
The live 1985 Semele at Carnegie Hall with a very similar cast to the DG recording is one of the greatest live performances of anything I have ever heard. The audience went nuts and the singing was spectacular
These are great choices and coincide largely with mine, except for "Samson" (John Butt), "Solomon" (Daniel Reuss on Harmonia Mundi) and "Israel in Egypt" (Parrott). Handel's Oratorios are a wonderful antidote to the abstraction and obsession with human mortality in Bach.
I am fortunate to have the Archiv 2 LP (2708 020) of the Mackerras Israel in Egypt since the CDs are out-of-print and it is not available on Spotify. One of the reasons I still use my Dual 508! My go to CD of Israel in Egypt is the Aradia Ensemble, Kevin Mallon on Naxos. Great choral performances. In fact I like all of Mallon's Handel. Naxos never fails to amaze me! On a side note, the first LP my wife gave me as a gift in 1978 was the Leppard Messiah on RCA. Still treasure it!
I think this is one of your best talks. The kind of style that I like, for classical music . Makes a change from some of those snooty people we get on BBC Radio 3!
Other two recommendations: 1) "Esther", the light and modest version of Cannons in 1718; it was his first English oratorio and it shares the musical character and genius of the contemporary semi-staged pastoral serenata "Acis and Galatea". My favorite rendition is that of Christophers with The Sixteen for his seal Coro. 2) "Samson", written immediately after "Messiah", is a deep and compelling work with very personal and profound scenes; a still seeing Handel writes some foreboding and moving music for a blind character. Again, Christopher's version is my choice, but there are some other nice recordings out there.
I love the two harlots scene of Solomon. Handel portrays the two charachters so well. One of my favorite musical monents.
Handel is the supreme music dramatist. His music is an analogue to ancient Greek drama.
David is the Jackie Mason of classical music. I love watching his vids every day. He makes me laugh out loud. He reminds me of my Jewish relatives in Boca.
I do not live in Boca but I actually live in Del Boca Vista, Phase 2. We have a view of Boca. I actually have my Elaine Seinfeld refridgerator from 1993 in Harvest Gold- I refuse to remove it. It is a collectors item.
Congratulations, Dave, for that very interesting and detailed video. My main additional comment would be that the final chorus of Esther (Hogwood version) is one of Handel's most gorgeous pieces of music !
Best Shostakovich 5 coming soon? Can’t wait to see it
Love these new segments Dave.
Came for the reviews, stayed for the stand up comedy. Laughed out loud when he mentioned the Harmonia Mundi road tour with snacks....particularly the Susanna canapés.
For Theodora I prefer McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort over Christie and Les Arts Florissants. I’m not a HIPster by any means but I find I always enjoy McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort’s work.
Despite the ridiculous stage production, my favourite version is that in a DVD, with Christie and the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment at Glyndebourne festival, starring Dawn Upshaw, David Daniels and the late Lorraine Hunt. It's a FABULOUS rendition, if you are able to ignore the stupid stage setting by Peter Sellars.
@@victormanteca7395 I know the one you mean. Yes, the music’s beautiful - but Sellars’ Regietheater staging: UGH!
The Athalia vengence aria is a hoot. Thanks for this - great fun and it made me smile.
Now, THIS is why we love your videos, Prof.! I think you love your Handel almost as much as I do 🤗. It’s wise of you to restrict the list to 15, because it won’t put off a newbie, and anyone who creeps close to the fifteenth will by then be so hooked, they will certainly move on to the sixteenth, seventeenth and so on until they have them all! The one I most regret is missing from your 15 (though I can understand why) is ‘Alexander Balus’ (again, as recorded by Robert King) - the aria ‘Hark he strikes the golden lyre’ with its fantastic plucked accompaniment is unsurpassed in beauty of sound. Now do the opera please!
* operaS!
Great selections, not only for the "cream" of Handel's delicious oratorio and oratorio-like compositions, but also for the particular performances. I could not agree with you more concerning the great "mad" aria from Hercules, "Where Shall I Fly?" Though not from a performance of the oratorio itself, Magdalena Kozena's rendition of the same aria with the Venice Baroque Orchestra is particularly horrifying! As always, Mr. Hurwitz, a superb and intelligent conversation!
I will take this opportunity to plug David's book on Handel since he didn't. I bought it a few months ago and have only skimmed it so far. It looks great. There are overviews of the major operas, oratorios and other works, and some things to listen for which are linked with timings in a compilation Harmonia Mundi CD of tracks from various works that comes with the book. I have a lot of Handel recordings, including many that are recommended in the book, but don't know many of them as well as I would like to. After I clear my new acquisition CD pile shortly, I am going to use the book to go through my Handel recordings again and perhaps add a few.
Thanks for the plug. FYI, the CD is from Harmonia Mundi. It's available from the publisher, Rowman and Littlefield, if you can't find it on Amazon or some other place.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks. I knew it was Harmonia Mundi but had a brain cramp. I'll correct my post. The book was available on Amazon as of 3 months or so ago.
Another fascinating video, many thanks. Karl Richter's Samson is well worth hearing (sadly often OOP) as is Mackerras' Judas Maccabaeus (on par with his Saul IMHO). Did not know Mackerras had recorded Israel in Egypt *makes space on shelf*
And I left the Mackerras Judas ini the overflow room, so I didn't have it to mention here. Thanks for the reminder.
I know David isn't a video fan but I have to give a shout out to the Glyndebourne video of Theodora, conducted by William Christie with magnificent singing from Lorraine Hunt, David Daniels and Dawn Upshaw. Video or cd, I totally agree re. the musical quality of the work, breathtaking and unlike anything else I've met in Handel.
Also, talk of Hercules recalls that aria where Dejanira exorts the hero to 'Resign thy club'. Audiences in NYC and London might be forgiven for believing he's been blackballed by the Knickerbocker or Boodles.
I agree with you about that video. It is stunning.
Thanks for the tip. I'm a guy on a budget and the Christie CDs (even used) were outrageously priced. But a used DVD came in at under $10, and to get Loraine Hunt I will put up with any visual madness (not to mention getting William Christie and LAF, whose Rameau I love). But I can handle a lot when it comes to staging. Back in 2009, I saw a Gluck Armida at the Komische Oper in Berlin, and the staging included about 30 naked men (all prisoners captured by Armida, who spurns love). Not quite what I had expected, flying in from the US with no clue about the staging, but I made the requisite adjustment, and I am glad to have heard any Armida in concert. And the music was terrific!
@@robertkunath1854 It's a Sellars production. In my experience that's more of a plus than a minus, although those who insist on spears, cheesecloth and sandals for any opera plot set in a period prior to the 10th century AD will disagree. Even those people surely would applaud his stage direction. All singers act superbly and I've seldom seen a chorus so realistically involved in what they're portraying.
Maestro Hurwitz, in your Repertoire videos I really have learned a lot from the educational contents before the CD recommendations. It's like a mini course for each music piece. You may want to make an alternative IDEAL list for these body of works, in which you can allow for repetitions of conductors---I think there are interests in the lists that represent your absolute favorite recordings for each body of work. And it helps people to buy 3 or 4 discs instead of 15 discs, for example.
I did repeat conductors in this list (King, McGegan, Christie, Christophers) and talked about several others as options (Mackerras, Gardiner), and of course you can get as many of them as you please (as I said). No reason to buy 15 just because that's the number of pieces I listed.
Thanks, even more enjoyable than usual. I thought I knew a bit about Handel but new realise I’m a beginner. Did you know that Handel and Bach were both operated on by the same quack eye surgeon John Taylor and as a result lost what little vision they had beforehand?
Yep. Quite a business that Dr. had going. He must have cured someone.
I think the only thing he was good at was PR, having ingratiated himself with George II and the Pope.
A wonderful review. Maybe just two boxes I take the liberty to add here. There is a wonderful (now unavailable) box by Decca called "Handel: The Great Oratorios". Then there is a cheap box called "GFH: Rare Oratorios" (PurPre) recorded by German forces.
Nevertheless, I still prefer individual sets to boxes as they usually contain proper notes and complete texts (essential here).
I hope you will come to opera of Handel like Julius Caesar in Egypt which is my favorite.
O my god, Semele is a riot!! I can't believe it was neglected only until relatively recently.
A request to DH: could you give us a video on a top dozen or so baroque opera/oratorio works? Of course they would be favorites of yours, but, as you have seen, your listeners take your recommendations seriously. I recall that one of your top boxed sets was the Harmonia Mundi baroque opera set, but selected individual works would interest me a lot. And if, by chance, you knew of a good DVD, that would not come amiss. Thanks for the excellent Handel recommendations, not one of which I had (though I hope Gardiner and Leppard versions of Israel in Egypt and Samson are not wholly beneath consideration). One question: I have strongly sympathized with your critiques of HIP performances, but almost all of our recorded baroque repertoire (a chunk of which I have) is, as you note, a creation of the HIP ensembles. Are there any deficiencies in that approach, in terms of ensemble composition or documented performance practice (as opposed to treatises)? I know I would never spurn excellent musicians playing on modern instruments!
Gawd , there are so many and Ive always wanted to know what else was out there besides Maccabeus, Israel in Aegypte,Milton's L'Allegro! I'll try Esther and Athalia first . Joan Sutherland and my beloved Emma Kirby . Like Bach he used one piece and would suit its scoring and put it in another work .
Hello Dave, thanks for your survey. I discovered it after forming my own collection of oratorios - which happens to coincide, by and large, with your list! I have a question about Jephtha, if I may: what's your opinion on the Harnoncourt version, especially w.r.t. Creed and Christophers? Thanks.
Bravo! Your thorough coverage of these incomparably great masterworks is greatly appreciated. I agreed with your picks mostly, though I find the Christophers version of Samson disappointing, in part because Thomas Randle doesn't do justice to his great role, either vocally or dramatically. The best assumption of that role was Alexander Young on the old Richter recording (which has some great choral contributions as well--very dramatic, if rather "Germanic"). Samson awaits a recording that does full justice to the drama and the seductiveness of this tremendous score. I'd also like to point out that MacKerras did a superb recording of Judas Maccabaeus, fully the equal of his near-definitive Saul and Israel. Thanks again for taking up my suggestion. Handel may well be the greatest composer of all time for the human voice.
Regarding Samson: as far as I can tell, THAT is the longest of Handel's oratorios (more than three hours). And it's my favorite one - though all the others are also just great, of course. Raymond Leppard's recording is, to me, still the best one out there, but I also like Butt's Dunedin reading on Linn.
@@im2801ok Yes, Samson is an amazing work, despite Milton's occasional bouts of misogyny--"Tis God's unalterable Law, etc." (one is almost embarrassed by the beauty of Handel's setting of this lamentable text!). In any case the Leppard reording is fine, not least because of Janet Baker's Dalilah, though Tear is a mixed blessing in the title role. Do you know the Karl Richter recording? Much vilified for its Germanic sobriety, it nevertheless has almost startlingly intense choral singing from the Munich Bach choir (and pretty good English diction, too), and a cast of soloists that, in my estimation, has never been surpassed in this work. I don't know the Butt recording, though I know he and his consort have received rave reviews for many of their recordings. I think my own personal favorite among Handel's oratorios is Solomon. Musically speaking, it's the richest. The love music in Part One is nothing short of sublime, and those fabulous double choruses are eartheringly great. And Sheba's final aria, "Shall the sun forget to streak. . ." is one of those pieces whose beauty can evoke tears. But Samson may be no. 2 on my list. "O first created beam" from that work is another one that moves me greatly. Isn't Handel wonderful?
It's a shame that Handel, for many, begins and ends with Messiah (which fully deserves the love and respect it gets). Discovering the op6 Concerti grossi in my late 20s was a huge ear-opener for me. That led to other treasures, such as Jephtha and Saul. Thanks for another stimulating review!
Unfortunately, this observation is too true. So many truly don't know what joy they're missing. I first heard Handel when I was about eight years old. It was a performance of Messiah on the radio. After that, I was hooked for life.
Another great and very interesting talk. Thank you.
I can't say I know all of these, but having listened to the (JEG) Hercules, I think it's pretty hard to beat. Above all, this music is so SEXY! L'Allegro...is also a favourite (again JEG I'm afraid). Looking forward to exploring some alternative performances.
No need for "I'm afraid." They are excellent.
Fine selections; where to make the cut? Personally, I couldn't do without 'Alexander's Feast,' chock-full of vivid musical scene-setting. I will always prefer the recording by Alfred Deller, because you never forget your first love and that's when I fell for Handel. (Deller, to his credit, has the best, most propulsive Act 2 intro, and he maintains the rhyme in 'the snakes as they rear, how they hiss in their hair.' Also Max Worthley's virile tenor. And he pronounces 'Thais' correctly, /THAY-is/ not /THAH-is/)
Likewise, the version of 'Theodora' directed by the late Johannes Somary, the first recording - ever. I still prefer his tempos, as well as the baritone John Lawrenson. Somary was a pioneer in recording 'Jephtha,' too.
My favorite moment in 'Solomon' - out of so many moments - is the First Harlot's tender lullaby to her newly-restored son, "Beneath the Vine or Fig Tree's Shade." I always tear up.
Ledger's version of "Saul" has the best 'Dead March' I've heard, indeed the whole last act is soul-wrenching.
Final question: am I mistaken in thinking that singers today have forgotten how to deliver the arioso recitative introductions? They feel rushed and almost thrown away.
I like young Handel best, he's more adventurous IMO. So I prefer La Resurrezione and Dixit Dominus to later English works, even thought I like quite a bit of music in those as well
I get where you're coming from, but I don't agree. There's quite a bit of novel and forward-looking music in the "older Handel."
It seems to me from a couple of videos that you don’t like countertenors, Mr. Hurwitz. Is there a particular reason why? Thanks for the wonderful recommendations!
Because, until relatively recently, most of them sounded horrible. They were simply male alto church choristers with threadbare voices, not rich-toned opera singers, but now there are some out there who make a more plausible impression.
Do you love Purcell? I'm on a Purcell kick and find myself continually astounded at the beauty and brilliance of his music. He could do it all; there's something for everyone in his music. BTW I agree with you completely on Hercules, Belshazzar (the overture's my fave of them all), and Semele. Those recordings are must listens.
I'm not much of a Purcell fan, although there are some things that I love. I think his reputation is exaggerated, as usual, in the UK, where he was a big fish in a small pond. Some of my reservations aren't his fault at all--the style of the day, especially in instrumental music, was so short-winded.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I agree with you about Purcell, and England's overestimation of his worth, albeit there are some beautiful and historically significant works. William Byrd on the other hand, for example, is still too neglected, and deserves far greater lauding.
@@thomasmcgorry2176 Lauding or Laundering?
@@DavesClassicalGuide Haha very good David. I think Byrd is a magnificent composer. Delighted you have done a forty minute run through of the treasures of Handel Oratorios, your breadth of knowledge in different repertoires is so impressive, look forward to your next talks.
@@thomasmcgorry2176 I think Byrd is terrific too, FYI.
Deller might not have been a great singer, but apparently he was good at repartee (which I guess he had to be, as a pioneer in the countertenor revival). A German woman at a concert asked him, "You are eunuch, Herr Deller?". He replied, "I'm sure you mean unique, Madam!"
Do you think you will do a video on the ideal Handel operas at some time?
Working on it now, actually.
Haha, they're gonna fume for what you said about Deller and Bowman, but I agree completely, their falsetto is cringy and intolerable by today's standards. Yet, to their credit, they are kind of THE pioneers in the counter-tenor HIP revival (if you don't count the out-too-soon Eberlin), and maybe we wouldn't have those standards now if it weren't for them and other cringy early masters of the trend, like Esswood or Jacobs. Certainly, they sound good when in good shape, but sometimes it was like something out of a Monty Python cross-dressing sketch.
Yes, but Handel usually asked for female singers when he couldn't find a good castrato. The sex of the singer was irrelevant. What mattered was range and technique. The fashion for using countertenors almost exclusively in these works is a purely modern conceit.
As you mentioned I found most impressive in "Belshazzar" where three peoples (pious Israelites, decadent Babylonians and pagan, but noble Persians who conquer Babylon and eventually liberate the Israelites to go home and rebuild the temple) are characterized by their choral parts. I have the Pinnock which is very good (and has a gloriously goofy cover with flying golden breastplate).
Mackerras also made a very good "Judas Maccabaeus" for Archiv, modern instruments but historicall informed for its day, I prefer this to his Israel in Egypt (but then I find the latter overall a rather flawed piece).
I also prefer Gardiner's "Solomon" but it is slightly abridged (maybe to fit on two discs), so the hardcore fan needs another one (McCreesh or maybe Christophers has done it as well).
Hey Dave. Thanks so much. Now I'm Scottish, despite my Jewish sounding name as you know, so I'm never really going to like the circa 1746 oratorios much. Maybe its funny that Handel would do anything for money. I find some of his other oratorios rather marvellous though. The Book of Joshua though, which I was trying to fall asleep to with David Suchet reading it rather marvellously the other night (he is very good at bible readings if you don't know!) is appalling. There's no other way around it, its just God telling the children of Israel to exterminate people here there and then there and then there and there and then there and there and there (I am not exaggerating). So haha how commercially astute Handel was and what a great orchestrator and so on. But there's no way nowadays (perhaps particularly this week) that we should give anything like a pass to these sanitisations of violence. Its not fun "Hammer Horror" I'm afraid.
Who said it was sanitized? Good, filthy fun!