Early Music on Record Review

[Nick Armstrong]

I was trying to remember who else had contributed besides pastoralguy (I remembered him, because I suggested he change his name to "Regulaguy").

Alarming how despite enthusiasm earlier this year, Ms Mühlemann's name had totally failed to stick in the Calibrain....

All most irregula.

[doversoul1]

23 September

1100
Suzanne Aspden rounds up some recent recordings of Baroque stage works including Purcell's The Fairy Queen, Rameau's Pygmalion and Handel's Lucio Cornelio Silla.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095py69

This sounds promising.

[ed.] more details
PURCELL: The Fairy Queen, Z629
Caroline Mutel (soprano), Guillaume Andrieux (baritone), Kevin Greenlaw (baritone), Virginie Pochon (soprano), Caitlin Hulcup (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Boden (tenor), Christophe Baska (counter-tenor), Julien Picard (tenor), Ronan Nedelec (bass), Anders J. Dahlin (tenor), Frederic Caton (bass), Hjordis Thebault (soprano), Les Nouveaux Caracteres, Sebastien d'Herin

HANDEL: Lucio Cornelio Silla, HWV10
Sonia Prina (Silla), Martina Belli (Claudio), Sunhae Im (Metella), Vivica Genaux (Lepido), Roberta Invernizzi (Flavia), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Celia), Luca Tittoto (Il Dio), Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (conductor)

Rameau: Pygmalion
RAMEAU: Pygmalion; Les Fetes de Polymnie: Suite
Cyrille Dubois (Pygmalion), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Cephise), Celine Scheen (La Statue), Eugenie Warnier (L’Amour), Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset (conductor)

Plus
9.00am
J.S. Bach - Sonatas & Partitas
Christian Tetzlaff (violin)

Zuguambe –Music for Liturgy from the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra c.1650 – Harmonia Nova #3
Capella Sanctae Crucis, Tiago Simas Freire

[MickyD]

Yes, very much looking forward to hearing that new recording of 'Pygmalion' in particular, ds.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes, very much looking forward to hearing that new recording of 'Pygmalion' in particular, ds.

Just listened to this segment of the programme. The voices on the Purcell and Handel recordings didn't appeal to me at all, but the Rameau was glorious I thought, and I've been Qobuzzing that this afternoon (rather than listening to the live version of the Handel broadcast on R3 today).

Rousset, his singers and players all spot-on in fantastic music

[MickyD]

Absolutely...I feel I have to get yet another version of Pygmalion, not least because of the extra suite of dances on the disc. It is a fantastic work, I saw a staged version of it years ago at the QEH with the English Bach Festival doing it.

[doversoul1]

30 September

9.00am
Grandissima Gravita
VIVALDI, TARTINI, VERACINI, PISENDEL
Brecon Baroque; Rachel Podger (violin & director)

Bach Privat
Cantata BWV6 'Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden an other
Georg Nigl (baritone), Anna Lucia Richter (soprano), Petra Mullejans (violin), Roel Dieltiens (cello), Andreas Staier (harpsichord)

10.19 – New Releases
A Pleasing Melancholy: Works by Dowland & Others
DANYEL, DOWLAND, HOLBORNE, HUME, T
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Chelys Consort of Viols, James Akers (lute)

1058 – Sarah Devonald on wind ensembles
Fanfare and Filigree – chamber music from Paris and Dresden
FASCH, DORNEL, ZELENKA, DORNEL, COUPERIN, PHILIDOR, MARAIS:
Kleine Kammermusik

1058 – DISC OF THE WEEK
Telemann: Fantasias for viola da gamba
Paolo Pandolfo (viola da gamba)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0965q4v

Nothing much gets done sort of Saturday morning.

[doversoul1]

14 October

10.45am – Disc of the Week

HANDEL: Messiah, HWV 56 (1754 Version)
Rupert Charlesworth (tenor), Andreas Wolf (bass-baritone), Sandrine Piau (soprano), Anthea Pichanick (contralto), Katherine Watson (soprano), Concert Spirituel Orchestra, Concert Spirituel Chorus, Herve Niquet (conductor)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b097s92k

Not another Messiah, you might say (I did). But this is Herve Niquet.

[MickyD]

Indeed. I heard him talking about his approach to Messiah on France Musique on the radio on Wednesday - it was fascinating. He is such a funny, witty man and had the interviewer laughing a lot. His rendition of the Hallelujah chorus is interesting - his singers start singing the refrain very softly and then continue with echo effects. Niquet says this is in the score, but that nobody has ever done it in a recording - he had lots of admiration for the vintage Hogwood recording, but couldn't understand why nobody has ever carried out Handel's intentions.

I'm not qualified enough to give an opinion on that, but it was a really good interview. And I understand to celebrate the Concert Spirituel's 30th anniversay, you also get a book of Niquet's favourite recipes as well in with the CDs. It always comes back to food wherever the French are concerned!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

His rendition of the Hallelujah chorus is interesting - his singers start singing the refrain very softly and then continue with echo effects. Niquet says this is in the score, but that nobody has ever done it in a recording - he had lots of admiration for the vintage Hogwood recording, but couldn't understand why nobody has ever carried out Handel's intentions.

I don't know which "score" Niquet refers to, but I have the facsimile of the composer's autograph Conducting Score (the one he used in the 1742 Dublin performance, "and afterwards throughout his life") and no such indications are marked there. In fact, no dynamic markings appear at all in this manuscript - and no tempo markings after the initial Allegro. Several performance notes added in pencil and red crayon are in Handel's handwriting, chiefly to remind him of soloists' names, and "ripieno" and "tasto solo" at the unison passages.

It's possible, of course, that Niquet is referring to a different "score" from this one - and that Handel had such intricate echo effects so clearly in his mind that he didn't need to include them in a score that he was using for rehearsals and performances. But "the refrain" (??? - this refrain? "Hallelujah"?) begun "very softly and then continue with echo effects" (??? so even softer than the "very soft" refrain???) - I'm at a loss!

[MickyD]

Thanks fhg - I understand that Niquet went for the 1754 Foundling Hospital score, which if I remember correctly, was the version that Hogwood used in his celebrated 1980 recording.

Hopefully you will hear the 'Hallelujah' in the extract that Andrew McGregor plays today, so that you can hear the effects that I rather clumsily described. I've listened to a few extracts on Amazon and I must admit, I rather like it.

[Bryn]

Thanks fhg - I understand that Niquet went for the 1754 Foundling Hospital score, which if I remember correctly, was the version that Hogwood used in his celebrated 1980 recording.

Hopefully you will hear the 'Hallelujah' in the extract that Andrew McGregor plays today, so that you can hear the effects that I rather clumsily described. I've listened to a few extracts on Amazon and I must admit, I rather like it.

The notes towards the bottom of this page may help a little. Looking forward to hearing the disc of the week extracts.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The notes towards the bottom of this page may help a little.

Looking forward to hearing the disc of the week extracts.

I am intrigued; I can imagine (though I'm not sure about) the first "Hallelujah" being done loud, and the second (as an "echo effect") quietly - maybe even by the soloists - but the "very soft" opening? They'll have to play that on the broadcast!

(I shall probably miss it - I have to be out after 10:30 - but shall definitely i-Play the discussion. Niquet is one of my favourite conductors - his NAXOS Charpentier recordings were what really sparked my adoration of French Baroque repertoire.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks to the generosity of a cyber pal, I have heard the Chorus in this recording. I think Micky's suggestion of a "very soft" opening was a little misleading - it's certainly less "shouty" than "traditional" Choral Society performance styles, but it's strong enough for the quieter "echo" responses to work (and in such a way that Handel could have got such effects from his Conductor's Score). And the whole chorus has a zest and joyfulness that I found instantly convincing and infectious. I look forward to hearing more of this - and I suspect that this is a recording that I will be parting with money to include in my collection.

Thanks to dovers and Micky (and cyber pal) for drawing attention to this - I might well have missed it otherwise.

[MickyD]

You're welcome, fhg. Sorry if I didn't make myself very clear in my previous message.

I'm currently listening to the extracts on RR. Performances are strong and I absolutely love the resonant acoustic - I'm not a great fan of "dry" venues. I agree about Niquet, - have you also explored all the choral works by Lully that he did for Naxos? They are worth acquiring. I also have a feeling that I will be getting this new Messiah, to add to my cherished versions by Hogwood and Higginbottom.

[Rolmill]

I look forward to hearing more of this - and I suspect that this is a recording that I will be parting with money to include in my collection.

I'm afraid I won't. I felt that the 'echo' effect in the Hallelujah chorus was quite effective at first, but soon became a rather predictable mannerism which annoyed me. The chorus was, I agree, energetic and vibrant, but I found the sopranos slightly 'fruity' in tone and the soloists OK but not exceptional. Overall, no match for Pinnock or a few others already in my collection.