Search - Handel, Royal Philharmonic, Menuhin :: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Amaqryllis Suite / Suite from The Water Music

C.B. K. from RIO RANCHO, NM
Reviewed on 9/14/2009...

Under the direction of distinguished conductor Yehudi Menuhin, the Royal Philharmonic Produces beautiful renditions of two of Handel's well-known works--The Music for the Royal Fireworks and a Suite from The Water Music. Also included is the less familiar Amaryllis Suite.

Super Gigantic Huge Enormous Handel

Wayne A. | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 03/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First time I heard this behemoth was on the radio while driving and I jammed on the brakes, slewing the car across three lanes, to listen to it, causing a 15 mile traffic jam on the baked bean-covered end of the Massachusetts Turnpike. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. It sounded like someone playing basketball with planets. When I play it for rocker friends they tend to rouse themselves from their drug-induced slumber for a bit and actually nod along in time.



G.F. (or Berlioz, or P.T. Barnum) would've loved this recording to bits and I have to admit it's remained one of my favorites over the years. The standout on this disc that I'm oozing over is the Baines/Mackerras mondo-mega-super-dooper Royal Fireworks de-luxe version 3.0. Although this gargantuan arrangement is not at all "correct" I'd say that it gives the modern listener the subjective experience (oh, for italics), the impact, of being at the premiere oh so many years ago, which is something the too literal period performance shtick is incapable of doing for moderns (and we're only recently figuring that out). The recording quality is not ideal (this is from 1986--the age of digital Edison cylinders) and a remastered version would probably be sharper--acoustic dulls the grandiloquent edge a tad plus which Menuhin is trying to steer an aircraft carrier through the America's Cup race here so the playing isn't as taut as in other leaner recordings. However, you'll be hard pressed to find the fanfares within the overture sounding more magnificent.





And say, you can get this for around a buck from most dealers. Not bad."