BaL 7.10.17 - Handel: Concerti grossi Op 3

[Bryn]

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.

Not what you keep telling me each time we happen to meet up.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing what is said about the textual issues with these Op. 3 works. Who is closer to Handel's intentions? Hogwood with his modern 'de-Walshed' version of number 6, or Egarr with the Walsh version replete with interpolated organ improvisation by Egarr himself?

[MickyD]

I wager that Harnoncourt's version will be deemed far too eccentric! I see that Lars Ulrik-Mortensen and his Concerto Copenhagen issued a version in 2012, which gets some very warm reviews in certain quarters. This will be a fascinating BaL!

[Beef Oven!]

Not what you keep telling me each time we happen to meet up.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing what is said about the textual issues with these Op. 3 works. Who is closer to Handel's intentions? Hogwood with his modern 'de-Walshed' version of number 6, or Egarr with the Walsh version replete with interpolated organ improvisation by Egarr himself?

Ok, so maybe I do want that other set - you're such a snitch! ''What is said in the locker room, stays in the locker room''

And btw, I have just listened through a set that I didn't realize I had AStMItF-Iona Brown. And very good it is too. Very light touch and spritely. Actually prefer it to my other two sets!

[Richard Barrett]

I wager that Harnoncourt's version will be deemed far too eccentric!

As a friend of mine said when it came out, "Harnoncourt really doesn't like Handel, does he?"

[MickyD]

One thing you can say about Harnoncourt's recordings - whether you like them or not - they are instantly recognisable! His Water Music was savaged when it first came out. But I have to say that his version of the Ode to St Cecilia's Day remains my top choice and think that it proves that he probably did like Handel!

[Bryn]

Ah well, already having the 'winner' twice over, no further outlay for me at the moment. I was belatedly tempted by the Goodman but got pipped to the post on the one low priced "very good" copy. I did not fancy the scratched "good" copy, especially given the inflated p&p Revival Books charge.

[MickyD]

Bizarre that the winner is now only available as a download. Methinks that Harmonia Mundi might soon be boxing up all the orchestral/concerto recordings done by Egarr and the AAM before long. That would be a very nice set indeed.

[Richard Barrett]

One thing you can say about Harnoncourt's recordings - whether you like them or not - they are instantly recognisable! His Water Music was savaged when it first came out. But I have to say that his version of the Ode to St Cecilia's Day remains my top choice and think that it proves that he probably did like Handel!

I'm sure he did, but I'm not really sure what his justification was for playing it in such an aggressive way... Mind you, I'm not sure whether there's any more justification for doing it the smooth English way. My feeling is his Handel recordings are highly variable - I haven't heard the Ode, but I thought Belshazzar was great and Saul not good at all. Why? It was a long time ago when I heard the latter, I don't really recall. On the other hand I'm always very impressed with his Haydn and Mozart (I mean the Concentus recordings), Beethoven not so much, and then of course there's all the earlier more obscure repertoire which he seemed to abandon from the 1970s onwards.

[HighlandDougie]

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.

In idly looking on Amazon at the - high - prices referred to by Bryn as I was thinking that I'd quite like a copy of the Egarr, I had a sudden feeling that I'd seen it somewhere before and, lo, there it was on the shelves in its SACD incarnation. I also realised that I have a copy in France as part of:

https://www.amazon.fr/Handel-Concertos-Haendel-Georg-Friedrich/dp/B001CCHPOE/ref=sr_1_145?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1507375223&sr=1-145&keywords=haendel+harmonia+mundi

which cost me about 16 euros, new, seven or eight years ago. Most enjoyable BaL (as one would expect from RW).

[Barbirollians]

Egarr and Pinnock here both excellent enough for me .

No change here .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Bizarre that the winner is now only available as a download.

Well, that's better than was the case with some of the recommendations from the previous BaL season, which weren't available in any format.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've just listened to this BaL via the the four tiny speaker holes of my iPhone. It was highly informative, with none of the smugness shown by some presenters (e.g. DV) when they want to dismiss non-HIPP performances.

But the iPhone speaker ...

[Pulcinella]

I've just listened to this BaL via the the four tiny speaker holes of my iPhone. It was highly informative, with none of the smugness shown by some presenters (e.g. DV) when they want to dismiss non-HIPP performances.

But the iPhone speaker ...

Do you get quadrasonic sound, Alpie?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Do you get quadrasonic sound, Alpie?

I don't get tetraphonic sound either.

[vinteuil]

In idly looking on Amazon at the - high - prices referred to by Bryn as I was thinking that I'd quite like a copy of the Egarr, I had a sudden feeling that I'd seen it somewhere before and, lo, there it was on the shelves in its SACD incarnation. I also realised that I have a copy in France as part of:

https://www.amazon.fr/Handel-Concertos-Haendel-Georg-Friedrich/dp/B001CCHPOE/ref=sr_1_145?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1507375223&sr=1-145&keywords=haendel+harmonia+mundi

which cost me about 16 euros, new, seven or eight years ago. Most enjoyable BaL (as one would expect from RW).

... yes - on visiting amazon.fr I found - "Vous avez acheté cet article le 2 mars 2016."

.