Customer Reviews

Handel - Joshua / Aler · Baird · Fortunato · Ostendorf · Brewer Chamber Orchestra · Palmer

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The conductor may be no Raymond Leppard, but he's preferable by a great stretch than some of these other "new baroque" recordings out there where everything is a forte marcato allegretto. He maintains the baroque atmosphere, much like Harnoncourt's sound (is this he? I don't know who the conductor is). The chorus also has the baroque sound, but my goodness! Thank God for a chorus with proper vowels and a nice sound! Much better than some Deutsche Grammaphon choruses I've heard. If you like the Monteverdi Choir with Gardiner, you'd probably like this chorus as well (I myself am a choister and soloist specializing in oratorio and other such sacred music).

Oops, sorry, forgot about the soloists. John Aler has a brighter tenor sound, not as dark as Robert Tear, but the way he handles the recitative text is very similar. Both he an John Ostendorf are a little heavy on the vibrato for my taste, but their diction is not that much skewed by it. J. Ostendorf is a heavy, rich bass, which is striking when you first hear it against Aler's brighter lyric voice. It almost seems wooly, but he steers it away from any Wagnerian tendancies to create a striking bu handsome compliment. Baird is gorgeous- it's that simple. She is not my favorite, but she comes real close. With a voice reminiscent of Emma Kirkby and expression along the lines of Janet Baker, it's a refreshing treat among all these increasing Helden-Sopranos who think that baroque music gives them an excuse to through all delicacy out the window. Over all, this recording is more of a 4 1/2, and I think the most well balanced one may come across.

The enclosed booklet is too poor. The singers are only good (the best is the soprano). Only good also the conductor . In this way this Haendel's work seems a minor one. Is really so?