BaL 10.12.11 - Handel's Julius Caesar

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry to disillusion you but the Mackerras performance dates from 1984. I suppose there is a crumb of comfort in that the reviewer made it his second choice ie. it is still worthy of consideration after all these years. I suspect the sort of production Barbirollians was complaining about is more typical.

I'm well aware of its age. I was referring to the tendency of many reviewers to dismiss any baroque recordings (however good they may be) that are not deemed to be HIPP.

[Barbirollians]

I would not be so damning generally . I rather liked that Tristan at the ROH though I think it is far to say it was appallingly blocked if you were on the right of the auditorium . I have generally enjoyed McVicar's productions as well though his messing about with the running order in Faust and cutting the spinning scene annoyed me . Laurent pelly's La Fille du Regiment is genius and greatly enhances the piece.

[Flosshilde]

What a thoroughly "musical" performance this is.

Obviously code for 'not historically informed performance practice'.

But performances by Sir Charles have been 'historically informed' - on modern instruments, agreed. So when did the rot set in - more recently than 1984?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... the tendency of many reviewers to dismiss any baroque recordings (however good they may be) that are not deemed to be HIPP.

To be fair to the "many reviewers", I think they rather "dismiss" recordings because they don't "deem" them to be as good as others available. (Just as I am sure that those Forumites who dismiss "HIP"Performances - however good they are - do not do so on ideological grounds.)

The fact is that when faced with a combination of phenomenal Musicianship such as encountered on the Mackerras/Baker recording, it overwhelms the reservations about language, keys and instrumentation that one might have: it is a recording that reveals the great contribution to Human Civilization that Handel's opera is.

Best Wishes.

[verismissimo]

Oh, Eine, you do go on. :)

[Biffo]

Sir Charles Mackerras has been a practitioner of HIP long before it was called that. In his period as director of the Hamburg State Opera (1965-69) he performed Handel operas and re-introduced ornamentation etc. He continued this with SW/ENO, not just in Handel but also in Mozart. I suppose the difference was that he was always pragmatic, sensible and above all musical.

[aeolium]

It's a shame we heard so little of the Mackerras/ENO performance in Monday morning's Essential Classics slot - not much more than 20 minutes by my reckoning (from an opera that runs for 4 hours). Surely a proper amount of time should be set aside for the recommended BaL version on Monday - it's not as though much else is being sacrificed.

[aeolium]

Sir Charles Mackerras has been a practitioner of HIP long before it was called that. In his period as director of the Hamburg State Opera (1965-69) he performed Handel operas and re-introduced ornamentation etc. He continued this with SW/ENO, not just in Handel but also in Mozart.

I love Mackerras' recordings of Judas Maccabeus and Israel in Egypt. It's something of a pity that while Handel's operas have enjoyed a tremendous revival in the last two decades or so, the same has not been true of the oratorios (excepting of course Messiah) - and yet they deserve to be better known. The choruses especially are absolutely stunning, and there are many memorable arias.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I suppose the difference was that he was always pragmatic, sensible and above all musical.

The "difference" with whom, Biffo? Who would you say is "unpragmatic", foolish and above all "unmusical"?

[verismissimo]

The "difference" with whom, Biffo? Who would you say is "unpragmatic", foolish and above all "unmusical"?

If one said "flexible" or "inclusive", one could nominate several on both sides who are not. And others, like Mackerras, who travel both sides of the road - Rattle, Elder, Jurowski, Harnoncourt among them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If one said "flexible" or "inclusive", one could nominate several on both sides who are not. And others, like Mackerras, who travel both sides of the road - Rattle, Elder, Jurowski, Harnoncourt among them.

... "who are"?
I totally agree.

"If"!

Best Wishes to all, however you like your Handel.

[Biffo]

If you want a prime example of modish one-to-a-part-lets-sing-it as-fast-as-we-can try McCreesh' s recording of the Bach Magnificat - an anti-musical gabble. A shame because McCreesh has done some recordings.

[Alf-Prufrock]

If you want a prime example of modish one-to-a-part-lets-sing-it as-fast-as-we-can try McCreesh' s recording of the Bach Magnificat - an anti-musical gabble. A shame because McCreesh has done some recordings.

I hope you meant to write 'good recordings'. If so I agree with you wholeheartedly.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Oh, Eine, you do go on. :)

I know I'm not supposed to mention it.

[ardcarp]

It's something of a pity that while Handel's operas have enjoyed a tremendous revival in the last two decades or so, the same has not been true of the oratorios (excepting of course Messiah) - and yet they deserve to be better known.

I'm not especially well up in who has recorded what recently. However oratorios (Judas M, Israel in Egypt, even lesser known ones such as Athalia) have remained very widely performed by choral societies and chamber choirs throughout the land. So they are surely much 'better known' than the operas which are not generally speaking amateur fodder.