Handel was famous for surrounding himself with star singers, often imported from continental Europe to London. He was equally fussy when it came to star instrumentalists, enlisting and often importing a number of star players. It was an excellent idea for a new CD from Pentatone to concentrate on Handel opera numbers where oboe, bassoon, violin, trumpet or horn play a prominent part. As a lover of Handel's music, I enjoyed “Handel's Unsung Heroes”. The band is La Nuova Musica, and the director David Bates. The various instrumental stars are listed, and the CD includes my all-time favourite Handel aria: Scherza Infida, from Ariodante.
So far, so very good. I scowled a bit at the balance of the various solo singers, however. Lucy Crowe, Christine Rice and Iestyn Davies are recorded close-up and thus appear never to sing below forte, often overshadowing the star instruments that are supposed to be the raison d'être of this well-intentioned CD. Shame, and unusual for Pentatone to get things wrong.
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