Handel Concerti Grossi Op. 6

[Larry Kart]

I have and like the 1967 Leppard set on Phillips, but sonically it's a bit close and clotted (even for its time), and I'm looking for a possible upgrade. What I like about the Leppard is that it has a nice sense of weight and muscularity to it, as though the music's inherent drama (IMO) were being understood/interpreted/projected without being rammed down one's throat. Sampling various versions on the 'Net, I found the touted Manze much too flighty/scratchy and just plain wrong in some of its emphases -- in particular, little or no sense of a bass line, without which IMO these works lose much of their meaning. What I could hear of the Harnoncourt sounded intriguing, though also at times over the top in the dramatization department (which I think I could handle, or Handel, because I would prefer too much of that rather than too little, but I've seen a review that says that the playing in this set gets very scrappy at times, and that I would not like). I see that the Orpheus CO set (coupled with the Water Music and the Royal Fireworks Music) is at Berkshire, but although I like the samples of the latter two works, the Op. 6 samples lack the kind of weight/punch that I want. It's certainly better than the Manze, but both parties seem to think that Handel is Vivaldi.

[mikeweil]

Christopher Hogwwods recording has a bit more punch and is available at a good price in one of its two incarnations:

I liked Simon Standage's recording on Chandos, too, which sounds a little more grand, but is available onyl on three separate CDs:

I found Andrew Manze a bit lean ... beware of the recent recording by Il Giardino Armonico - totally imbalanced recording!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i swear to god when i first saw this i thought it said Conte Candoli concert at 6

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

i swear to god when i first saw this i thought it said Conte Candoli concert at 6

I had to read this to see what you said

MG

[Hot Ptah]

I am partial to the Tafelmusik recording, conducted by Jeanne Lamon (Sony SK 52553), and the recording by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Iona Brown (Hanssler Vertig 91103).

As you like to listen to samples and make up your own mind, I will simply mention these recordings and let you come to your own conclusions.

[Larry Kart]

I ordered the Harnoncourt; we shall see.

[Larry Kart]

Used copy of the Harnoncourt (MHS version of the 1980s Teldec original) arrived yesterday. It's just what I was hoping for -- characterized up the wazoo. Eccentric at times in its stop and start moments (the original Gramophone review came close to saying "there oughta be a law"), and not always neatly played (the added oboes in Concerto 1 are at sea rhythmically) but full of life, drama, and music.

On the strength of this and on-line samples, I've ordered Harnoncourt's recent and seemingly very gemutlich Haydn "Seasons" (Harmonia Mundi) from Berkshire. By comparison my old Dorati (London) seemed humorless.

[mandrill]

I like these two sets:

[mikeweil]

I like these sets:

I had the Giardino Armonico recording and sold it - I found the recorded sound rather strange, like they had intended a multi-channel disc and messed up in the mixdown. You hear little of the continuo group, and mostly ripieno strings - pretty much out of balance.

Sound-wise, I think this is the best around, and played excellently, too, even if the group is slightly smaller:

This new recording by the Avison Ensemble might be fine, but I haven't heard it:

Edited July 20, 2010 by mikeweil