Handel and Purcell: Performance on 3 Wednesday 30 January

[doversoul1]

Sir Roger Norrington brings a lifetime's expertise in period performance as he conducts the London Philharmonic in two great classics of the English Baroque.
[…]
Presented live from the Royal Festival Hall by Martin Handley.

Handel: Water Music Suite No.1 in F; Water Music Suite No.2 in D

Interval

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Marie-Claude Chappuis......Dido (soprano)
Lucy Crowe......Belinda (soprano)
Benjamin Appl.....Aeneas (tenor)
Anna Dennis......2nd Woman (soprano)
Edward Grint......Sorceress, Spirit (bass-baritone)
Ciara Hendrick......1st Witch (mezzo-soprano)
Anna Harvey......2nd Witch (mezzo-soprano)
The Schütz Choir of London
London Philharmonic Orchestra

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00028bb

[ardcarp]

It'll be a change to hear the Purcell (and the Handel for that matter) played by a large-ish ensemble. Sir Roger will no doubt have them all playing à la mode.

[vinteuil]

It'll be a change to hear the Purcell (and the Handel for that matter) played by a large-ish ensemble. Sir Roger will no doubt have them all playing a la mode.

... ah! but quelle mode?


.

[doversoul1]

Dido: There may be more polished singing on CDs but it was very good to hear the work performed on Radio 3.

[oddoneout]

Dido: There may be more polished singing on CDs but it was very good to hear the work performed on Radio 3.

I heard nearly all of the Handel and very much enjoyed it, though the relaxed approach to tempi, and smooth instrumental sound will not have pleased the ultra HIPPies? The Purcell I only heard the very end of and wasn't struck by some of the soloists. Dido manged to achieve what I thought would be impossible and leave me virtually unmoved by her Lament. The odd vowels('when I am leed' and even worse 'forget my feet') would have been just an oddity and possible to overlook if they hadn't been highlighted by the absence of flow in her singing. I don't know whether it was tiredness or what but the disjointedness of the lines and difficulties with the higher notes just didn't work.
I was trying to work out what was happening after the performance proper finished - did the performers come on for an orchestrated cast bow to the accompaniment of the instrumental addition?

[doversoul1]

I heard nearly all of the Handel and very much enjoyed it, though the relaxed approach to tempi, and smooth instrumental sound will not have pleased the ultra HIPPies? The Purcell I only heard the very end of and wasn't struck by some of the soloists. Dido manged to achieve what I thought would be impossible and leave me virtually unmoved by her Lament. The odd vowels('when I am leed' and even worse 'forget my feet') would have been just an oddity and possible to overlook if they hadn't been highlighted by the absence of flow in her singing. I don't know whether it was tiredness or what but the disjointedness of the lines and difficulties with the higher notes just didn't work.
I was trying to work out what was happening after the performance proper finished - did the performers come on for an orchestrated cast bow to the accompaniment of the instrumental addition?

I missed the Handel. I’ll definitely catch up. As for Dido, Marie-Claude Chappuis is apparently Swiss-born, so I imagine English is not her most comfortable language to sing. It was a bit odd choice, I’d have thought, when there were so many excellent British singers although not necessarily household names who could have sounded natural in English. And yes, her higher notes weren’t the selling point.

[oddoneout]

I missed the Handel. I’ll definitely catch up. As for Dido, Marie-Claude Chappuis is apparently Swiss-born, so I imagine English is not her most comfortable language to sing. It was a bit odd choice, I’d have thought, when there were so many excellent British singers although not necessarily household names who could have sounded natural in English. And yes, her higher notes weren’t the selling point.

Indeed, and furthermore vowels have their pitfalls for singers. However that is something surely that a good singing teacher should work on - in general, and for specific languages as they are required? I know that over the years I have picked up various tips from successive MDs of the choir I sing with so that what is heard is acceptable.

[doversoul1]

Indeed, and furthermore vowels have their pitfalls for singers. However that is something surely that a good singing teacher should work on - in general, and for specific languages as they are required? I know that over the years I have picked up various tips from successive MDs of the choir I sing with so that what is heard is acceptable.

Handel: Very much enjoyed it. Yes, it was smooth but I thought the spirit was all there.

This is just my guess but in Baroque and pre-Baroque vocal works, English may not be a prominent enough language for (some) singers to have time or need to perfect.