The Treaty of Utrecht and Composer Portrait: Torelli

[ardcarp]

Saturday 13th April

The Treaty of Utrecht
Catherine Bott explores the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 with music by Handel.


Sunday 14th April

Composer Portrait: Torelli
Music by 17th-century Italian composer and virtuoso violinist Giuseppe Torelli.
FIRST BROADCAST: 17 Aug 2008

Dovers is away for a short break and asked me to post these up.

[Gordon]

Ah! yes, the famous tedium of Utrecht!!

[Black Swan]

Well, as a huge Handel fan, I am really looking forward to today's Early Music Show. I find I don't own any recordings of the Utrecht works so I will be interested to hear them.

[ardcarp]

The piece which stole the show for me was Croft's Ode for the Peace of Utrecht. It wasn't flagged up in the advance publicity, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear it...and it was beautifully done too. Rather shameful in fact that what is probably the only recording was done by the Netherlands Bach Society, albeit with our very own Will Towers as one of the soloists. As Catherine said, it (and much else by Croft) is an unjustifiably neglected work.

The programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rw069

The Croft is the final piece.

Recordings of Croft's music are rather thin on the ground. I have a fine LP produced for the National Trust (of all things) by John Holloway and an excellent bunch of singers and players...NT 005...but I don't suppose it's available on CD. It includes The Lord is King, Rejoice in the Lord and O Give Thanks. Another orchestral verse anthem by Croft is The Lord is a Sun and a Shield...of which I know no recording.

It is my firm belief that Handel acquired his 'English ceremonial manner' from the likes of Croft. In many ways Croft and Maurice Greene were more galante than Handel, as the 6/4 - 5/3 cadence is much more frequent in their work than in Handel's...as could be heard in today's EMS.

[Catherine Bott]

I agree with you about the Croft, Ardcarp, and am going to check with the production team to see if the EMShow has ever "done" him. (He and I were both born in Warwickshire.) Watch this space, all best, Catherine

[Black Swan]

Catharine,

Thank, as usual a great program. I have already downloaded the Netherlands Bach Society recording and am enjoying it immensely. I will watch this space for more info and hopefully the EMShow will do a program on his work.

J

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Catharine,

Thank, as usual a great program. I have already downloaded the Netherlands Bach Society recording and am enjoying it immensely. I will watch this space for more info and hopefully the EMShow will do a program on his work.

J

thank you

[MickyD]

More divine choral music from Croft to be found on this excellent Hyperion disc:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDH55252&vw=dc