Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Rachel Ramond, Leo Jemison, Trinity Boys Choir, James Way, Sreten Manojlović – Handel: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Rachel Ramond, Leo Jemison, Trinity Boys Choir, James Way, Sreten Manojlović – Handel: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:41:56 minutes | 1,87 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

L’Allegro … ist eine Mischform aus Oratorium, Ode und Serenade und gehört zu den rätselhaftesten Werken von Händel, aber auch zu seinen genialsten! Mit der für sie typischen Poesie laden uns William Christie und Les Arts Florissants zur Wiederentdeckung dieses Meisterwerks ein, in dem der Komponist Metaphysik in Malerei verwandelt und Gedanken in reinste Emotionen.

Handel’s L’allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato, HWV 55, is an underrated work. Composed in 1740 as he was beginning to turn decisively toward English-language music, it was based on a pair of contrasting pastoral poems by Milton. Handel mixed these together and had his librettist, Charles Jennens (soon to write the text of Messiah, HWV 56), add a third part, Il Moderato, as a kind of synthesis at the end. It sounds thrown together, but the music is brilliant and has much in common with that of Messiah; the chorus has a lot to do, great care is taken with the accompanied recitatives, and the solos are full of tunes that are, given the chance, just as memorable as that of the famed later oratorio. The durable William Christie, 78 years old when this album appeared in 2023 and vaulted onto classical best-seller lists, generally specializes in French music with his group Les Arts Florissants, but he has been performing this ode in concert, and it is wonderful to find that he has gotten around to recording it. It is a wonderful reading that captures and highlights the dramatic contrasts in the work, which really plays to Christie’s strengths in handling a complex score, selecting the right soloists who may not be at the top of the charts, and finding the excitement in unfamiliar Baroque scores. He excels across the board here. Among the soloists are a couple of standouts, soprano Rachel Redmond and boy soprano Leo Jemison. Christie takes brisk tempos, grabbing the listener’s attention right at the top with the quick introduction to the recitativo accompagnato “Hence with vain deluding joys.” The proportions in everything are just right, with a choir of 20 and an orchestra of 28 deployed so as to reflect vividly the contrasts in the text. Listeners unfamiliar with this work could not ask for a better introduction to it. Harmonia Mundi’s sound at the Paris Philharmonie keeps the texts clear, even in densely polyphonic music. – James Manheim

Tracklist:
1-01. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Accompagnato. Hence loathed Melancoly (L’Allegro) (01:53)
1-02. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Accompagnato. Hence vain deluding joys (Il Penseroso) (00:51)
1-03. Leo Jemison – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Come, thou Goddess, fair and free (L’Allegro) (01:36)
1-04. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Come rather, goddess sage and holy (Il Penseroso) (03:20)
1-05. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air and Chorus. Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee (L’Allegro) (02:33)
1-06. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air and Chorus. Come, and trip it as you go (L’Allegro) (02:38)
1-07. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Accompagnato. Come, pensive nun, devout and pure (Il Penseroso) (01:05)
1-08. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Arioso. Come, but keep thy wonted state (Il Penseroso) (01:23)
1-09. Les Arts Florissants – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Chorus. Join with thee calm peace, and quiet (01:16)
1-10. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Recitative. Hence, loathed Melancholy (L’Allegro); Recitative. And if I give thee honour due (L’Allegro) (00:32)
1-11. Leo Jemison – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Mirth, admit me of thy crew (L’Allegro) (03:54)
1-12. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Accompagnato. First, and chief, on golden wing (Il Penseroso) (00:43)
1-13. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Sweet bird, that shun’st the noise of folly (Il Penseroso) (11:37)
1-14. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Recitative. If I give thee honour due (L’Allegro) (00:10)
1-15. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Mirth, admit me of thy crew (L’Allegro) (02:49)
1-16. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Oft, on a plat of rising ground (Il Penseroso) (03:25)
1-17. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Recitative. If I give thee honour due (L’Allegro) (00:11)
1-18. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air. Let me wander, not unseen (L’Allegro) (02:10)
1-19. Leo Jemison – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I: Air and Chorus. Or let the merry bells ring round (L’Allegro) (04:05)
2-01. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Accompagnato. Hence, vain deluding joys (Il Penseroso) (01:18)
2-02. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air. But oh, sad virgin (Il Penseroso) (05:57)
2-03. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Recitative. Thus, night oft see me (Il Penseroso) (00:15)
2-04. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Chorus. Populous cities please me then (Il Penseroso) (03:12)
2-05. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air. There let Hymen oft appear (L’Allegro) (02:25)
2-06. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Accompagnato. Me, when the sun begins to fling (Il Penseroso) (00:40)
2-07. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air. Hide me from day’s garish eye (Il Penseroso) (03:33)
2-08. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air. I’ll to the well-trod stage anon (L’Allegro) (02:01)
2-09. Leo Jemison – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air. And ever against eating cares (L’Allegro) (02:59)
2-10. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Air and Chorus. These delights if thou canst give (L’Allegro) (03:21)
2-11. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Recitative. But let my due feet never fail (Il Penseroso) (00:35)
2-12. Les Arts Florissants – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Chorus. There let the pealing organ blow ; Solo. And let their sweetness, through mine ear (Il Penseroso) (02:45)
2-13. Les Arts Florissants – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Fugue Organo ad libitum (02:13)
2-14. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Solo and Chorus. These pleasures, Melancholy, give (Il Penseroso) (04:13)
2-15. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part II: Accompagnato. Hence, boast not, ye profane (Il Moderato) (00:25)
2-16. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Air. Come, with native lustre shine (Il Moderato) (03:01)
2-17. Sreten Manojlović – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Accompagnato and Chorus. Sweet temp’rance (Il Moderato) (02:29)
2-18. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Air. Come, with gentle hand restrain (Il Moderato) (01:52)
2-19. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Recitative. No more short life (Il Moderato) (00:36)
2-20. James Way – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Air. Each Action will derive new Grace (Il Moderato) (02:22)
2-21. Rachel Redmond – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Duet. As steals the morn upon the night (Il Moderato) (06:01)
2-22. Les Arts Florissants – L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part III: Chorus. Thy pleasures, Moderation, give (Il Moderato) (03:32)

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