Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delectable Pastoral Joy, 15 Nov 2008
John Butt brushes away the cobwebs from Handel's beautiful pastorale, presenting a scholarly but by no means dusty version of the score as it would have been heard in its original pared-down, palatial setting at Cannons in 1718, with the 5 soloists providing the choruses and a small but select group of instrumentalists.
The results are utterly enchanting, with lively, bright-eyed tempi (Handel's wonderful bass lines swing along with fabulous impetus!) and a pristine freshness which makes me for one feel I am hearing this masterpiece for the first time.
There is an outstanding Polyphemus from Matthew Brook, perfectly encapsulating the comic pathos and threat of the lumbering giant (and quite beautifully enunciated too!) and stylish performances from the other four soloists.
But above all, this sounds like a real team effort, delivered with enormous love and enthusiasm as well as baroque expertise. Given recording of Linn's demonstration standards, how can anyone resist this lovely set? It has given me as enormous pleasure - as much as any of the many versions of "Acis" that I've been lucky enough to hear over the years.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb, idiomatic and stylish performance of this masterpiece, 26 Jan 2009
This performance of a work which is now performed only relatively rarely demonstrates the continuing excellence of the Dunedin Consort and Players and, in particular, the remarkable feel which John Butt has for baroque music. Tempos and the plangency of the sound of this small band of players is absolutely in the idiom of the authentic instrument tradition but his extraordinary subtle variation in tempo, dynamics and emphasis bring this alive in a way no one has equalled amongst existing performances available on CD. The band handles all the demands with clear relish and the chamber-style accompaniment to the various solo parts shows woodwind playing at its finest.
Of course, none of this matters were it not for the consistently enjoyable and stylish singing from these relatively young, but exceptionally fine, soloists. Susan Hamilton, as Galatea, sings beautifully and handles the baroque ornamentation with aplomb; Nicholas Mulroy, as Acis, uses perhaps a little more vibrato than the role needs but is never less than accomplished. Matthew Brook is an indisputably distinguished singer, using his remarkable technique and beautiful tone to wonderful effect in the comic aria whilst also managing to invoke some real empathy for this comic-book villain. Thomas Hobbs, tenor, as Damon, is quite a find with his glowing, golden tone and interpretative skill and Nicholas Hurndall Smith acquits himself capably with his modest part.
It is the ensembles or 'choruses' where this fine singing makes the most visceral impact; breathtaking tonal quality is matched by the punchiest of rhythms and is allied to a sensitive and nuanced interpretation of the emotional undertones which are the hallmark of this work. I was lucky enough to hear a live performance of Acis & Galatea by these very same forces and it's one I will remember for years afterwards. Don't take my word for it; go to the Lynn Records website and listen to the unusually generous extracts from the CD. If you love Handel and appreciate the virtues of the authentic tradition, this is the performance you've been looking for.
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10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Correct but dull, 7 Nov 2008
The last time I heard a recording of this delectable piece it was one dating from nearly fifty years ago, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (not period-style as we know it now, but surprisingly authentic for the time) with Joan Sutherland, Peter Pears and Owen Brannigan in the leading roles. It does admittedly crop repeats in da capo arias and the chorus can be a bit hearty, but I found it far more enjoyable than the new release.
John Butt and his consort present a putative original version of 'Acis and Galatea' as it might have been given in 1718 as an entertainment for house guests at the great mansion of Canons, the home of the future Duke of Chandos, where Handel was employed to write and direct music. The forces are small with the five soloists doubling as chorus and a band based on four violins, which certainly gives great clarity to the textures. The version given is, however, not so different from what we are used to in this work.
John Butt sets one or two questionable tempi (the opening Sinfonia over-fast and hectic, the trio "The flocks shall leave the mountains" a slow plodding trudge), but the main drawback for me is that although the music is performed accurately and precisely, it is all so dull. None of the young singers has a particularly interesting voice. They are correct and musicianly, but not a patch on Boult's team, who are so much more alive and characterful - an unfair comparison maybe, but then to make another recording of this well-loved piece does invite such comparisons. (I do like Dunedin's bass Matthew Brook in the semi-comic role of the giant Polyphemus, but it is rather a gift of a part).
Authentic period-style performances of 18th century music have given much insight and enjoyment, but can be a little too predictable in their approach and sometimes seem to lack real engagement with the music. I could not help wondering if the dutifulness of this performance is really what Handel would have wanted. But do listen and decide for yourself.
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