Customer Reviews

Handel - Royal Fireworks Music · Concerto Grosso "Alexander's Feast" · Overtures / The English Concert · Pinnock

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There's no doubt in my mind: Trevor Pinnock is the world's greatest interpreter of baroque music, period. Here, he is at his very finest, in the more enjoyable version of Royal Fireworks ( with strings, that is ), as well as in the concerto grosso and overtures on this album. In fact, not only is the instrumentation easier to listen to than the original wind-only, but Pinnock plays much more charmingly on this recording than on his wind-only version. The amazon.com reviewer has in bang-on when he says that this one has more sparkle. One can hear in the very first bars, as the shorter intervals are played more quickly on this recording, as opposed to the dragging articulation you get in the other recording. This is a must for Handel fans.

Trevor Pinnock again demonstrates that he is the leading interpreter of Baroque music. This performance of "Music for the Royal Fireworks" is easily the most powerful and exciting available. I have heard other recordings which in comparison sound like music for the royal naptime. If you have not heard this version, you have not really heard the piece.

The peak of this CD is the colossal recording of the Royal Fireworks . Majesty with fierceness ; frehness and virility ; passion and intellect ; sublime and expressive ; lyricism and honesty are some of the adjectives which deserves this artistic triumph of Mr. Trevor Pinnock.

I will be upfront and honest in the fact that I mostly detest period instruments and historically informed performance practice in general. But when something works like Trevor Pinnock's take on Handel here, then I tip my proverbial hat in their direction. This is a fantastic version of the famous Royal Fireworks Music, played like a million bucks with all the pomp and grandeur that this music demands. The balance of the orchestra is very precise, with forward brass and woodwinds, cushioned by the appropriately steely period strings. The timpani here are also very vivid in the aural picture and make a phenomenal contribution to the last minuet. The percussion is amazing in the final statement. I must commend DG's Archiv label for their consistently outstanding digital sound.

After the Royal Fireworks is over, the disc continues with the "Alexander's Feast" Concerto Grosso. The weakest part of Pinnock's English Concert band are those steely strings I mentioned above. When they are hidden behind a panoply of brasswinds and timpani as in the Fireworks Music, then it's all merry. But when the scrawny strings are exposed as in the andantes and adagios of the concerto and the subsequent overtures, we have a problem. Thankfully it's not too detrimental to the overall effect and I especially love the hot-blooded take on the very famous "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" from Handel's Solomon oratorio. Whether you're a fan of period instruments or can't stand them, this is a winning Handel CD with great sound and available at budget price. A good addition to any Baroque collection, much better than Gardiner or any other period conductor I've heard in this music.

Before listening to this recording, I was drafting a review which began with the invariably less interesting aspects of music written for a specific purpose, such as, for example the 1812 Overture, most marches, and opening themes to Olympic contests. But then I listened to this piece and threw that very general hypothesis out the window, as Handel simply gets the job done in writing celebratory music which has endured. I also happened to think that this dumb premise would devalue virtually all of my favorite musical genres, that written for liturgical purposes. So here we are, a German musical celebration of an English event. It works!

A very good interpretation of music written by Handel: Royal Fireworks Music / Concerto for Alexander Feast / Etc.

I have also other verssions, but I like this verssion (from "English Concert") because I think that is near to "Handel's filling".