This is undeniably one of the best English language music dramas ever written. Even Lichas is carefully constructed. His first aria is balanced between martial nobility and tender concern for his queen. Dejanira is given an aria of resignation that sounds like a folk song one has always known. In fact, the trauma that gets the opera going is Hercules not being dead after he is mourned. A wonderfully compelling subject. Should be staged with the same frequency as Hamlet.
That is a stunning recording and von Otter sings her brains out. Another one-off recording of “Where Shall I Fly?” that just gives me chill bumps is Magdalena Kozena with the Venice Baroque Orchestra.
"Hercules" is indeed a stunning operatic masterpiece, and the Minkowski recording is superb. I would not be without it. I wonder what you think of "Jephtha"? The characterization is bold and convincing and the tragedy wrenching. Handel outdid himself when in comes to Jephtha's own "mad scene." The libretto is indeed the problem here, but Handel's music triumphs over it completely. A fave? Definitely one of mine.
Beecham said he wanted to do Hercules but said he absolutely couldn't do it unless he had Maria Callas as Dejanire. Lord only knows what his edition would have been like but it's one of the tantalizing might-have-beens.
Hurray!!!! Gosh, together with Giulio Cesare and Ariodante well worth the listening again and again. I love the cool going mad 🙂 And please, do try to read Women of Trachis one day too.
In Minkowski's defense, his live recordings of Haydn's Solomon, London Symphonies is stupendous...though Antonini's is even better, and he is doing the entire symphonic cycle.
In the earlyish days of CDs, I had a boss who, more than most chemical engineers, enjoyed classical music. He told me he had bought this new recording with Anne Sofie von Tucker. I replied, the Last of the Red Hot Mezzos? He didn’t get it. A short while later, he mentioned that he’d bought a concerto recording with Anne-Sophie Tucker. I said to him, you mean the Last of the Red Hot Fiddlers? This time, he got it and thought he was very clever.
I haven’t heard this work, yet, but I will! 😊
This is undeniably one of the best English language music dramas ever written. Even Lichas is carefully constructed. His first aria is balanced between martial nobility and tender concern for his queen. Dejanira is given an aria of resignation that sounds like a folk song one has always known. In fact, the trauma that gets the opera going is Hercules not being dead after he is mourned. A wonderfully compelling subject. Should be staged with the same frequency as Hamlet.
That is a stunning recording and von Otter sings her brains out. Another one-off recording of “Where Shall I Fly?” that just gives me chill bumps is Magdalena Kozena with the Venice Baroque Orchestra.
"Hercules" is indeed a stunning operatic masterpiece, and the Minkowski recording is superb. I would not be without it. I wonder what you think of "Jephtha"? The characterization is bold and convincing and the tragedy wrenching. Handel outdid himself when in comes to Jephtha's own "mad scene." The libretto is indeed the problem here, but Handel's music triumphs over it completely. A fave? Definitely one of mine.
Beecham said he wanted to do Hercules but said he absolutely couldn't do it unless he had Maria Callas as Dejanire. Lord only knows what his edition would have been like but it's one of the tantalizing might-have-beens.
Hurray!!!! Gosh, together with Giulio Cesare and Ariodante well worth the listening again and again. I love the cool going mad 🙂 And please, do try to read Women of Trachis one day too.
Handel's version is much, much better,
In Minkowski's defense, his live recordings of Haydn's Solomon, London Symphonies is stupendous...though Antonini's is even better, and he is doing the entire symphonic cycle.
No, Minkowski's performances are grotesquely bad. Sorry. www.classicstoday.com/review/review-15528/?search=1
In the earlyish days of CDs, I had a boss who, more than most chemical engineers, enjoyed classical music. He told me he had bought this new recording with Anne Sofie von Tucker. I replied, the Last of the Red Hot Mezzos? He didn’t get it. A short while later, he mentioned that he’d bought a concerto recording with Anne-Sophie Tucker. I said to him, you mean the Last of the Red Hot Fiddlers? This time, he got it and thought he was very clever.
Too bad Minkowski totally destroyed, wrecked and turned into an abomination his recording of "Messiah".
Did he ever!
@@DavesClassicalGuide I was actually saddened by that performance. That was nothing but a disgusting ego trip and nothing more.