Search - George Frederick Handel, Joachim Martini, Ewa Wolak :: Handel: Solomon

George Frederick Handel, Joachim Martini, Ewa Wolak
Handel: Solomon
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (30) - Disc #1
1. Ouverture
2. Allegro
3. Chorus Of Priests: Your Harps And Cymbals Sound
4. Air: Praise Ye The Lord
5. Chorus Of Priests: With Pious Hearts
6. Accompagnato: Almighy Pow'r!
7. Recitative: Imperial Solomon
8. Air: Sacred Raptures
9. Chorus Of Israelites: Throughout The Land Jehovah's Praise
10. Recitative: Bless'd Be The Lord
11. Air: What Tho' I Trace
12. Recitative: And See My Queen
13. Air: Bless'd The Day
14. Recitative: Thou Fair Inhabitant Of Nile
15. Duet: Welcome As The Dawn Of Day
16. Recitative: Vain Are The Transient Beauties
17. Air: Indulge Thy Faith
18. Recitative: My Blooming Fair
19. Air: Haste To The Cedar Grove
20. Recitative: When Thou Art Absent From My Sight
21. Air: With Thee Th'unshelter'd Moor I Tread
22. Recitative: Search Round The World
23. Chorus: May No Rash Intruder
24. Chorus: From The Censer Curling Rise
25. Recitative: Prais'd Be The Lord
26. Air: When The Sun O'er Yonder Hills
27. Recitative: Great Prince
28. Air: Thrice Bless'd That Wise Discerning King
29. Recitative: My Sovereign Liege, Two Women Stand
30. Air & Terzetto: Words Are Weak To Paint My Fears
Track Listings (34) - Disc #2
1. Recitative: What Says The Other
2. Air: Thy Sentence, Great King
3. Recitative: Withhold The Executing Hand
4. Air: Can I See My Infant Gor'd
5. Accompagnato: Israel, Attend
6. Duet: Thrice Bless'd Be The King
7. Chorus Of Israelites: From The East Unto The West
8. Recitative: From Morn To Eve
9. Air: See The Tall Palm
10. Recitative: No More Shall Armed Bands
11. Air: Beneath The Vine
12. Chorus Of Priests: Swell The Full Chorus
13. Sinfonia
14. Recitative: From Arabia's Spicy Shores
15. Air: Ev'ry Sight These Eyes Behold
16. Recitative: Sweep The String
17. Air & Chorus: Music, Spread Thy Voice Around
18. Air & Chorus: Now A Diff'rent Measure Try
19. Recitative: Then At Once
20. Chorus: Dreaw The Tear From Hopeless Love
21. Recitative: Next The Tortur'd Soul Release
22. Air & Chorus: Thus Rolling Surges Rise
23. Recitative: Thy Harmony's Divine
24. Air: Pious King, And Virtuous Queen
25. Recitative: Thrice Happy King
26. Air: Golden Columns, Fair And Bright
27. Chorus: Praise The Lord
28. Recitative: Gold Now Is Common
29. Air: How Green Our Fertile Pastures Look
30. Recitative: May Peace In Salem Ever Dwell
31. Air: Will The Sun Forget To Streak
32. Recitative: Adieu, Fair Queen
33. Duet: Ev'ry Joy, That Wisdom Knows
34. Chorus: The Name Of The Wicked

CD Details

All Artists: George Frederick Handel, Joachim Martini, Ewa Wolak, Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra, Elisabeth Scholl, Nicola Wemyss, Knut Schoch
Title: Handel: Solomon
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Naxos
Original Release Date: 1/1/2006
Re-Release Date: 7/25/2006
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Chamber Music, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750), Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 747313257423

Synopsis

Amazon.com

After years as a successful opera composer in London, fashion changed and Handel turned to oratorios, therefore creating for himself a second career. One of the real masterpieces of this period is Solomon, a love story (the Queen of Sheba and Solomon woo and coo) that has, as its dramatic centerpiece, having little to do with the "plot," the story of the women who claim to be the birth mother of the same child. The work is filled with marvelous, big choruses (some in eight parts), is scored for large orchestra, and has a grandeur that is undeniable. This is a fine performance of it, with a rich voiced mezzo, Ewa Wolak, in the title role (it was composed, oddly enough, for a mezzo; Paul McCreesh, on his recording, uses the remarkable countertenor Andreas Scholl--historically incorrect but superb nonetheless), who sings with assuredness and involvement. Elisabeth Scholl sings the Queen with pure tone and the Second Woman with passion. Tenor Kurt Schoch does well with the difficulties of Zadok the Priest's coloratura; Matthias Vieweg, holding up the bass end of the scale, is somewhat weak. Chorus and Orchestra are excellent, although the chorus seems to be recorded from a great distance. The McCreesh is the preferred performance--it's certainly more dramatic--but this new one is good and less than half the price of the other. --Robert Levine

CD Reviews

Pass This One By

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 08/04/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I am at a loss as to how the producers of this set thought this recording of a live performance of Handel's 'Solomon' could compete with its two outstanding previous recordings, both still available. Although it is cut (three arias are omitted as I recall), Gardiner's 1990 set raised the bar pretty high. Then Paul McCreesh (with Andreas Scholl singing Solomon) came along and bettered it. This woeful set, though, hardly makes it into the arena before it goes thud.

In all departments the two earlier recordings outpace this set from Germany. The orchestras are far superior, the singers likewise, and both conductors have Handel's rhythms in their bones where conductor Joachim Carlos Martini too often trudges. From Track 1, with an Ouverture that threatens to fall of its own weight, and onward, we are too often left without the wonder and delight of this score.

My strongest complaint has to do with the weak, poorly controlled soprano of Elisabeth Scholl who tries and fails to sing one of Handel's greatest arias, the Queen's 'Bless'd be the day.' Utter disappointment there. As she also sings the Second Woman in the scene where King Solomon settles the dispute between the two women claiming to be a baby's mother, that scene is etiolated by her singing and Martini's slow tempo.

In all fairness, the Solomon of Polish contralto Ewa Wolak has some wonderful moments, as does the Zadok the Priest of Knut Schech. Scottish soprano Nicola Wemyss sings the Queen of Sheba and of all the singers has the most understandable diction, but her coloratura slogs where it should sparkle and she has no trill.

The main reason for anyone to buy this set would financial; it costs about half what the others do. But that's a weak recommendation, particularly when you factor in the somewhat mushy cathedral sound. Save your pennies and get one of the others.

Scott Morrison"