Search - George Frederick Handel, Ferdinand Leitner, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra :: Handel: Julius Caesar

Good music, bad sound

Peter T. Sipos | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 02/08/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Very enjoyable singing, and I personally prefer a baritone as Caesar. But buyers be warned - the sound is really very poor. It sounds like someone recorded a radio broadcast. The final chorus of the opera actually fades out - I'm not sure why they did this, but it certainly makes for a great disappointment. Can you imagine "fading out" of a Handel opera, like some second rate pop song. This is a recording for a true connosseur of opera, who can overlook these glaring defects for the excellent music-making beneath."

A Great 'Wagnerian Handel' Performance

Ang Kwan Yu | Singapore | 05/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a brilliant recording, performed by a 'modern size' orchestra and a cast of Wagner singers. What you get is an energetic, high spirited performance. The singers, lead by a superstar cast of Walter Barry, Lucia Popp, Fritz Wunderlich and Christa Ludwig, all displayed great technical and emotional skill that brings out the best in the music. With a big orchestra, every little detail (especially the oft neglected bass continuos) can be heard loud and clear. Despite a few 'authentic' boo-boos, this CD performance is by no means out-dated even judging by today's standards. Ornamentation is sparse, and at times the odd aria is a little slow or fast, and the show is in German, but based on the overall performance I recommend this set nonetheless. Plus, this is the probably the only full recording (at 3 CDs) that you can find at budget price, so this the de-facto 'definitive' budget price recording!"