BaL 11.05.13 - Handel's Solomon

[vinteuil]

I don't think I have the JEG (not with the CDs, can't check).... What colour's the box?

... many classify their CD collections alphabetically by composer, a few alphabetically by name of work; some classify their collections chronologically.

We learn that Caliban classifies his by colour...

.



( ... for what it's worth, and to help out poor Caliban with the inadequacies of his system - the JEG 'Solomon' is dark blue. As a Cambridge man Caliban probably eschews things dark blue on principle.... )

[Nick Armstrong]

... many classify their CD collections alphabetically by composer, a few alphabetically by name of work; some classify their collections chronologically.

We learn that Caliban classifies his by colour...

.



( ... for what it's worth, and to help out poor Caliban with the inadequacies of his system - the JEG 'Solomon' is dark blue. As a Cambridge man Caliban probably eschews things dark blue on principle.... )

Oh vindetable, you can't resist it can you!

Anyway, made me chuckle, thanks for that

The reference to my not being with the CDs and being unable to check, might have given a hint that I was relying on memory (being on my lunchbreak at work when writing) and in that regard, I thought it might be helpful to remember the colour....

Anyway, back home now, and I have consulted my Handel shelf (alphabetical by composer, if you must know).

I only have the McCreesh on CD.

But I find I have three versions of the "May no rash intruder" chorus... It is indeed the Gardiner that is the fleetest performance (in accordance with verismissimo's sense that it is the most 'alive' reading of the whole work). It's faster by quite some margin, fact - the timings for that chorus are:

McCreesh 4:21
Reuss 4:26
Gardiner 3:16 !

I've just been listening... comparison is treacherous.... the JEG sounds a little too quick immediately after one of the others; but they in turn seem rather leaden-footed after the JEG.

Reuss I find rather stiff and over-attentive to decorative details (trilling birds etc)... a bit precious.

McCreesh also brings out more of the detail than JEG, but it's got slightly more of a lilt than Reuss, and it's a more engaging recorded sound, pretty gorgeous actually.

However it's Gardiner's way with this movement (especially his use of diminuendo) that I find entrancing, addictive

[MickyD]

I'm interested by your impressions about preferring JEG's quicker speed, Caliban, because for some time I have felt the same about his treatment of the sublime duet "As steals the morn" from "L'Allegro, Il Penseroso e il Moderato".

Every other version I have heard since takes it far too sluggishly for my liking - but I wonder if I would feel the same if I hadn't heard JEG first? His was the only recording for many years, and I guess we often come to think of our first experience of a piece by a certain conductor as the "right" speed.

I have the Reuss version of "Solomon"...I'll be interested to hear the comparisons this morning.

[verismissimo]

... I've just been listening... comparison is treacherous.... the JEG sounds a little too quick immediately after one of the others; but they in turn seem rather leaden-footed after the JEG.

I noticed that too Cali. It must happen all the time to BAL presenters when doing their research.

On a different tack, wonder if Jeremy Summerly will do his research blind this morning, as he has in the past.

[Flosshilde]

Yes, he did. He selected McCreesh, despite his comment about the opening of Act 3 - the Queen of Sheba arrived "at a hell of a lick". Which she did. She was obviously very eager to see Solomon.

I have JEG - as he was the runner up (not as fast as McCreesh's Queen) I'll be satisfied with him (I was anyway).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, he did. He selected McCreesh, despite his comment about the opening of Act 3 - the Queen of Sheba arrived "at a hell of a lick". Which she did. She was obviously very eager to see Solomon.

[DracoM]

You mean JEG WASN'T Master of the Universe?
Tut tut! Lese majeste, methinks

[amateur51]

A mercifully cheap morning

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You mean JEG WASN'T Master of the Universe?
Tut tut! Lese majeste, methinks

The runner-up. IIRC, JEGgers missed out a couple of numbers that McCreesh included - this was the decider.

[vinteuil]

A mercifully cheap morning

... not quite so cheap for me.

The best thing for me about today's programme was that it made me fall in love once again with this marvellous work.

I loved - guiltily - the Reuss * , with its continental rather than English take on the work. That performance I already have in the hm Enlightenment box.
It was good to hear the momentum of the JEG, which I already had - and blushed that I had not been aware how much JEG had chopped off...

And was completely bowled over by the McCreesh - "gorgeous" as Caliban rightly says. An order has been placed...


* completely off topic, I wonder if this Reuss is related to that most absurd of German princely families - all of whom for hundreds of years have had the same name - Heinrich...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuss_Younger_Line

[Flosshilde]

The runner-up. IIRC, JEGgers missed out a couple of numbers that McCreesh included - this was the decider.

Yes; he said that in the concert hall JEG's omissions wouldn't worry him, but on CD he wants it all. I think though that I found the Queen's unseemly hurry a bit too much.

completely off topic, I wonder if this Reuss is related to that most absurd of German princely families - all of whom for hundreds of years have had the same name - Heinrich...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuss_Younger_Line

A touch of keeping it all in the family as far as marriage is concerned too, perhaps?

[Nick Armstrong]

I ... was completely bowled over by the McCreesh - "gorgeous" as Caliban rightly says. An order has been placed...

... and a serpent in the orchestra, to boot! Not that I've ever noticed (and I hadn't read the booklet, obviously ). Reason enough to give it another spin... (also to hear the 'quint' that was mentioned in the priests' chorus... Never heard of a 'quint' before... Can someone explain a bit more about it?)

Good BAL, Jeremy S as engaging as ever. Some shocking solo singers among the also rans (although I have to say, in the McCreesh, I don't really like Paul Agnew's voice as Zadok)... and interesting to hear comments about the Reuss which rather echoed mine in my mini-review of the 'rash intruder' chorus above: what I called a 'precious' aspect to the performance.

A worthy dead-heat, broken on sensible grounds by JS in relation to the missing movements - I'd buy the Gardiner if I found it at a good price, but for the moment I'm happy with McCreesh (plus some individual other movements on iTunes).

[LeMartinPecheur]

.. Reason enough to give it another spin... (also to hear the 'quint' that was mentioned in the priests' chorus... Never heard of a 'quint' before... Can someone explain a bit more about it?)

G

c: you clearly need to listen to BB's TOTS sometime this year...

Seriously though, a 'quint' is an organ stop sounding the note a fifth above the key depressed, and normally - I think - used as a colouring 'sauce' with other stops. Jeremy S seemed to be bothered about the way that in the particular context it created unHandelian dissonances when sustained through already spicy harmonies.

[Nick Armstrong]

BB's TOTS

Yes that's exactly what the word put me in mind of, of course. I wonder if that's why the character was so named... a sort of unwelcome presence...

[vinteuil]

BB's TOTS ...

... well. I have heard Miss Bardot's assets referred to in various terms, but never until now as "tots"