Sunday 17 August 2008

Jonathan Keates' revised and updated biography of Handel is an excellent read, closely integrating life, history and music. A model of its kind. Spurred on by Keates' enthusiasm, I spent Sunday listening with great pleasure to Handel's Agrippina -- one advantage of having a vast library of CDs that have rarely been listened to more than once.

I thoroughly enjoyed the three and a half hours of Agrippina which is, of course, packed with Handel's "hits". The 1991 recording by John Eliot Gardiner and an almost entirely British caste is excellent (though I still deplore Eliot Gardiner's habit of autumatically adding "molto" whenever he comes across an allegro, vivace or presto).

3 comments:

RabinFan said...

Molto is the disease of HIP - especially fast movements - because they play vibrato-less, it is difficult to sustsin a line - so everything sounds like Speedy Gonzales. Do I have the right idea about HIP?

RabinFan said...

Sorry typo - sustain a line.

oisfetz said...

Three and a half hours of Haendel!! I name you Hero of the United Kindom !
I think I can't stand it for more that three and a half minutes!
BTW: did you got my Ebay suggestions?
Non interested,hum?.