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Handel: Parnasso in Festa

Matthew Halls Audio CD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Price: £27.75 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Conductor: n/a
  • Composer: George Frideric Handel
  • Audio CD (29 Sep 2008)
  • SPARS Code: DDD
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Hyperion
  • ASIN: B001F4YGZA
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 58,025 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Disc: 1
1. Part One Overture
2. Aria Clio Verginete
3. Chorus Corriamo pronti ad ubbidir
4. Recit Apollo & Co Germane, figlio amato
5. Aria & Chorus Apollo Deh! Cantata un bell'amor
6. Recit Apollo Ma prima che s'avanzi
7. Aria Orfeo Spira al sen'
8. Aria Apollo Gran Tonante
9. Chorus Già vien da lui
10. Recit Clio Spettacolo gradito
See all 26 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Recit Clori E non s'udiran mai
2. Chorus O quanto bella gloria
3. Aria Clori Tra sentier
4. Chorus O quanto bella gloria
5. Recit Calliope Che mai facesti
6. Aria Calliope Già le furie
7. Accomp recit Orfeo Dopo d'aver perduto
8. Aria Orfeo Ho perso il caro ben'
9. Chorus S'unisce al tuo martir
10. Recit Apollo Figlio, diletto Orfeo
See all 29 tracks on this disc

Product Description

CD Description

Hyperion's Record of the Month sees the long overdue return to the studio of The King's Consort, under the baton of the group's newly appointed Artistic Director Matthew Halls. Here the ensemble presents the premiere recording of Handel's Parnasso in Festa: a unique example in Handel's enormous creative career of a fully-fledged celebratory serenata (or Festa teatrale). This form was rare in England but had developed in parallel with opera in Italy, where it was popular for commemorating special occasions of international significance, such as royal weddings. Parnasso in Festa was written for Princess Anne's marriage to Prince William of Orange. In Handel's serenata three of the Muses, their leader Apollo, his son Orpheus, and Mars (god of War) gather at the feast celebrating the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis. The mythological musicians Apollo and Orfeo must have been particularly appealing for Handel here. Unlike many composers, he never composed an opera about the legend of Orpheus and Euridice. His only depiction of the mythical musician in his entire output forms the core of the serenata's middle part. For a composer who later excelled at representing the musical legends Timotheus and St Cecilia, and who was described by contemporaries as 'the Orpheus of our age', the depiction of Orfeo is notably fascinating. Created two years before Alexander's Feast, and five years before A Song for St Cecilia's Day, the emotional centre of Parnasso in Festa is devoted to a study of the power of music. This magnificent masterpiece has been starved of the wider attention that can only come from frequent performances and disseminated recordings. It is presented here in a dazzling performance by an exceptional group of musicians, and graced by a stellar line-up of soloists led by Carolyn Sampson.

Product Description

Carolyn Sampson (Clio), Lucy Crowe (Orfeo), Rebecca Outram (Calliope), Diana Moore (Apollo & Euterpe), Ruth Clegg (Clori), Peter Harvey (Marte) - The King's Consort - Matthew Halls, direction

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting re-working of 'Athalia' 10 Mar 2009
Format:Audio CD
This is, I believe, the premiere recording of Handel's serenata 'Parnasso In Festa' and very welcome it is too. Handel re-used much of the music from his oratorio 'Athalia' here and it is sometimes odd to hear the tunes out of context but they generally work well in their new settings and the whole thing is very enjoyable.

Most of the solo arias go to either Apollo or Clio and both roles are excellently taken here. Clio is sung by the reliable soprano Carolyn Sampson who sings with great sweetness of tone. Apollo is taken by the a mezzo soprano new to me, Diana Moore - and what a truly beautiful voice she has! I have had her aria 'Torni pure' playing almost constantly since i bought the recording! The other minor roles are also very well done and Matthew Halls and the Kings Consort play the whole thing with great energy and vigour.

This is an interesting piece and well worth hearing.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Parnasso in Festa 19 Dec 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I think Mr Davidson has got it right, though Athalia, a fair bit of the music of which was recycled in this serenata, isn't a work I know very well. If you look at the libretto first you will expect the music to be formulaic and worthy, full of unimpeachable sentiment. and obviously tailored to an occasion. (Hyperion are, however, to be congratulated on using Oldmixon's contemporary original translation, which isn't singable, but is "authentic"). So the best thing to do is to ignore the libretto and let the music speak. Rather unfortunately it speaks, in this performance, with a pronounced English accent which wouldn't have been there in Handel's time - he used some of the best Italian woman singers of his day, and he clearly expected total and fiery commitment to its sentiments. But you get used to it remarkably quickly, because the music itself is so good, and Carolyn Sampson, Diana Moore and their colleagues do it more than justice, in a cool, elegant way which opens an interesting angle on the piece. Naturally, too, such a neglected Handel work as this still is didn't escape the burgling activities of Sir Thomas Beecham entirely - did anyone else even read the score in his lifetime? What he did to his swag was also, in its way, totally committed, so that occasionally, recognising a familiar arrangement, you expect things to happen which don't exactly come about. What does come across is Handel's sure sense of musical and dramatic structure, and his inexhaustible ability to surprise with the simplest of means and the most apparently conventional of techniques in which, suddenly, the bass goes where you are not expecting it to, a solo line becomes a ravishing duet, inexplicably, and chorus voices begin to interweave in a completely unfamiliar and beautiful pattern. "Parnasso in Festa" doesn't deserve its neglect. This set won't disappoint.
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Amazon.com: 4.4 out of 5 stars  5 reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sparkling Handel Premiere 17 Oct 2008
By Paul Van de Water - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This fine recording of "Parnasso in Festa" ("The Festival on Parnassus") beautifully fills one of the few remaining gaps in the Handel discography. It was recently awarded the 2009 Stanley Sadie Handel Prize for a recording that "combine[s] fine interpretive quality with a penetrating or valuable insight into Handel's genius." The work is in the form of an Italian serenata--an extended cantata--like "Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo" or "Il Trionfo del Tempo." It tells the story of the wedding feast of the king Peleus and the nymph Thetis, with Apollo, Orpheus, and the Muses in attendance. The participants sing the praises of music and of marriage. Some of the music is borrowed from the oratorio "Athalia," which had not been performed in London at the time of this work's premiere, but much of it is new, "all of it fresh and fragrant" (Paul Henry Lang). Matthew Halls, formerly the associate director of the King's Consort, takes the helm for the first time and directs a sparkling performance. Carolyn Sampson, one of our leading baroque sopranos, heads a fine group of soloists. Highly recommended.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Delight from Beginning to End 14 April 2009
By Johannes Climacus - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Handel's vast output is full of surprises. Just when you thought there were no new treasures to discover, along comes this first-ever recording of a virtually unknown Serenata from 1733. This work was written to celebrate the marriage of Princess Anne to William of Orange. Despite the silliness of the pastoral/allergorical text celebrating the joys of marriage and music, Handel's score is fairly bursting at the seams with extravagant invention and lavish orchestration (including some fabulous writing for hunting horns in Handel's most bracing al fresco style). Never mind that this work consists almost entirely of music recycled from *Athalia* and other sources. Handel knew exactly what he was doing in selecting (and often revising) suitable pre-existing music for this celebratory pastiche. The match of musical idiom and affect with text is in every case perfect, resulting in a work which seems freshly composed and in which everything contributes to a satisfying whole.

The performance featuring The King's Consort under the direction of Matthew Halls is splendid on every count. The cast, consisting mostly of women's voices, is sufficiently varied in timbre and character to prevent any sense of monotony setting in over a long succession of arias in a similar vocal range. Peter Harvey, the one male soloist, does a superb job in his limited role. Otherwise, the distinguished roster of women (with Sampson, Moore, and Clegg particularly outstanding) regale the listener with stunning feats of virtuosity in the celebratory music, alternating with poignantly expressive singing in the more reflective arias. The Choir of the King's Consort provide, crisp, clear-textured and often rousing contributions in the many splendid choruses which range in mood from compassionate lament (in response to Orpheus's recollected loss of Eurydice) to festive jubilation (as only Handel can evoke). They are particularly effective in the massive, and cunningly delayed climax of the final chorus, at which point the unexpected entrance of brass and timpani creates a spine-tingling surge of adrenaline.

Indeed, the ensemble playing is magnificent (with absolutely glorious winds and brass), and the continuo realizations are nicely varied, though never obtrusive. Add to this a virtually flawless recording in an ample, but never detail-clouding, acoustic space, and we have an unequivocal winner on our hands.

With informative notes and full texts and translations reflecting their usual strong production values, Hyperion has clearly given us one of the most stimulating Handel recordings in recent years. Not to be missed on any account.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars QUE LA FETE COMMENCE ! 25 April 2011
By PVP - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
The King's Consort, formation anglaise mythique, revient aux studios sous la direction artistique Matthew Halls (ancien adjoint de Robert King) pour le premier enregistrement du Parnasso in Festa (Mars 1734) sérénade (un peu dans le style oratorio' nombreux chaeurs), genre très populaire en Italie, écrite par G.F.H. pour le mariage de la Princesse Anne et William d'Orange (la « fleur des princesses » est l'élève préférée de Georg Friedrich et elle le lui rend bien pour défendre sa musique avec ferveur, à une époque où il n'a plus trop la cote auprès des Londoniens.

Chef-d'oeuvre longtemps privé de l'attention qu'il avait historiquement rencontrée, créé deux ans avant Alexander's Feast, et cinq avant a Song for St Cecilia's Day, cette véritable comédie musicale semble se concentrer sur une étude puissante de la seule musique et de ses effets harmoniques. Ouvrage victime d'un très long oubli, comme Déborah, en raison de ce que l'essentiel de la musique est un recyclage du matériau d'Athalia, dont on réentend les larges et émouvants chaeurs augmentés de nouveaux numéros (9 sur 35) parmi lesquels un finale où alternent les interventions soli de Carestini, créateur du rôle d'Apollo, et les interjections chorales délicieuses d'un ensemble bien mesuré.
"Étonnant Haendel' quand il fait de la daube réchauffée, il fait de la daube réchauffée, mais quand il est génial, il l'est pour de bon ! » écrit une critique, réaliste ; toutefois ne boudons pas le plaisir : l'orchestration est sérieusement transformée et étoffée.

Difficile de se passionner pour cette intrigue rudimentaire et de circonstance qui réunit une assemblée générale de divinités et de démiurges classiques venus célébrer les noces de Pelée et de Thétis.

Cela dit, interprétation très colorée d'un groupe exceptionnel de musiciens remontés semble-il à bloc ; orchestre et chaeur en parfaite symbiose avec un sens du rythme et du tempo qui aère l'espace et nourrit la réflexion ; le casting est discutable ; Diane Moore (Apollo) « Torni pure » n'est pas franchement très excitante à l'inverse de Carolyn Sampson dans le rôle de Clio, comme toujours, très à l'aise dans ce répertoire, totalement illuminée dans « Nel spiegar sua voce al canto ».
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