Matthew Halls: The King's Consort
Release Date: 01 October 2008
Label: Hyperion Records Ltd
Packaging Type: Brilliant Case (Jewel Case size, Holds 2 CDs)
No of Units: 2
Barcode: 034571177014
Description
Hyperionâs Record of the Month sees the long overdue return to the studio of The Kingâs Consort, under the baton of the groupâs newly appointed Artistic Director Matthew Halls. Here the ensemble presents the premiere recording of Handelâs Parnasso in Festa: a unique example in Handelâs enormous creative career of a fully-fledged celebratory serenata (or Festa teatrale). This form was rare in England but had developed in parallel with opera in Italy, where it was popular for commemorating special occasions of international significance. Parnasso in Festa was written for Princess Anneâs marriage to Prince William of Orange.
In Handelâs serenata three of the Muses, their leader Apollo, his son Orpheus, and Mars (god of War) gather at the feast celebrating the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis. The mythological musicians Apollo and Orfeo must have been particularly appealing for Handel here. Unlike many composers, he never composed an opera about Orpheus and Euridice. His only depiction of the mythical musician in his entire output forms the core of the serenataâs middle part. For a composer who later excelled at representing the musical ikons Timotheus and St Cecilia, and who was described by contemporaries as âthe Orpheus of our ageâ, the depiction of Orfeo is fascinating. Created two years before Alexanderâs Feast, and five years before A Song for St Ceciliaâs Day, the emotional centre of Parnasso in Festa is devoted to a study of the power of music.
This magnificent masterpiece has long been starved of wide attention. It is presented here in a dazzling performance by an exceptional group of musicians, and graced by a stellar line-up of soloists led by Carolyn Sampson.
Tracklisting
Roberto Prosseda, London Philharmonic Orchestra / Nir Kabaretti
The Brabant Ensemble / Stephen Rice
Steven Isserlis
The Nash Ensemble
MultiPiano Ensemble, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin / Ivor Bolton
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Marc-Andre Hamelin, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Litton
Gothic Voices / Christopher Page
Arianna Art Ensemble
Steven Isserlis
Marie Stockmarr Becker & Ilaria Macedonio
Paolo Pandolfo
Apollo's Fire; Jeannette Sorrell
Apollo's Fire; Jeannette Sorrell
Altberg Ensemble, Jorg-Andreas Botticher
Musica Temprana
