BaL 7.10.17 - Handel: Concerti grossi Op 3

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library on Handel's Concerti grossi Op 3 with Richard Wigmore. These 6 lively concertos were compiled into a set and published by John Walsh in 1734. It's now thought that Handel had no connection with the publication and that Walsh just put together a group of Handel's already existing works. But the resulting set is some of Handel's best music.

Available versions:

Amarillis
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Collegium Aureum
Northern Sinfonia, Bradley Creswick
The Academy of Ancient Music, Richard Egarr
English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner (download)
Brandenburg Consort, Roy Goodman
Concentus musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Handel & Haydn Society, Christopher Hogwood
Tafelmusik, Jeanne Lamon
Linde Consort, Hans-Martin Linde
Northern Sinfonia of England, George Malcolm
La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Jean-Claude Malgoire (download)
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Les Musiciens Du Louvre, Marc Minkowski
Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrik Mortensen
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, Budapest, János Rolla
Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter
Silete Venti! Ensemble, Corrado Rovaris
English Baroque Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen
Kammerorchester Basel, Julia Schröder
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Jan Willem de Vriend

[BBMmk2]

P have the AM, Richard Egarr recording. Mighty fine it is too, imo.

I do note the H & H Society under Christopher Hogwood too. I might just get that!

[vinteuil]

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... not on Alpie's list, but well worth considering -

Brandenburg Consort, Roy Goodman

http://amzn.eu/0kAXxfH

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[MickyD]

P have the AM, Richard Egarr recording. Mighty fine it is too, imo.

I do note the H & H Society under Christopher Hogwood too. I might just get that!

The latter recording is very nice indeed - for me, Hogwood always had a particular affinity with Handel. Well worth getting, even though the recording dates from a few years back.

[Richard Barrett]

I reckon I've heard most of the HIPP recordings on the list and my recommendation would go to the AAM, though Kammerorchester Basel wouldn't be far behind.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

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... not on Alpie's list, but well worth considering -

Brandenburg Consort, Roy Goodman

http://amzn.eu/0kAXxfH

.

Thanks. Now added to the list.

[Beef Oven!]

I have:

Marc Minkowski - Les Musiciens Du Louvre

Christopher Hogwood - Handel & Haydn Society

These are very good performances, IMHO and two's enough - I doubt that I'll be adding to my collection.

[MickyD]

I have:

Marc Minkowski - Les Musiciens Du Louvre

Christopher Hogwood - Handel & Haydn Society

These are very good performances, IMHO and two's enough - I doubt that I'll be adding to my collection.

Slightly off-topic, but it's worth noting that Hogwood also did an excellent complete Op.6 Handel Concerti Grossi with the H & H Society - my only grumble being that he opted to dispense with oboes, but it is a very fine set indeed.

[Bryn]

Slightly off-topic, but it's worth noting that Hogwood also did an excellent complete Op.6 Handel Concerti Grossi with the H & H Society - my only grumble being that he opted to dispense with oboes, but it is a very fine set indeed.

Yes, and Op.6 was included in the OL Baroque Era box, but Op. 3 was left out. Just ordered a used copy of Op. 3 to squeeze into the box, sans jewel case.

[Oops. Forgot I aso have the Tafelmusik/Lamon in the Sony Tafelmusik BO box. Must give it a spin.]

[MickyD]

Another really dumb decision by Decca, Bryn - one wonders just who sits down and makes these selections. Anyway, glad that you have got the Op.3 disc.

[Pulcinella]

Prompted by the thread, I gave the Hogwood a spin yesterday.
I also have the Pinnock (seem to remember preferring the Hogwood), ASMF/Marriner, and Linde, so am unlikely to want another, but it could/should be a good BaL to listen to, to hear the different styles of performance.

[Barbirollians]

Egarr and Pinnock here both excellent enough for me .

[silvestrione]

I don't know this music, but I notice the Academy of St Martin in the Fields version in cheap box in local Oxfam. Is this worth it, or to be avoided?

[vinteuil]

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... I have never found much to enjoy in the ASMF recordings : there is something safe and tame that sucks the life out of the music. Much to be preferred is the excitement offered by Pinnock, Hogwood &c.

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[Bryn]

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... I have never found much to enjoy in the ASMF recordings : there is something safe and tame that sucks the life out of the music. Much to be preferred is the excitement offered by Pinnock, Hogwood &c.

.

I concur entirely re. the ASMF, which I have in the Decca "Handel: The Masterworks" box. Fortunately I also have the AAM/Egarr, which is very much to my taste (knocked sideways to see the sort of price the Egarr is commanding these days. Surely it will get re-issued soon. The Hogwood is ordered and on its way.