Search - George Frederick Handel, Philip Ledger, David Willcocks :: Handel: Coronation Anthems; Dixit Dominus

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 01/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CHORAL CHARISMA FROM KING'S COLLEGE SINGERS.

The four coronation anthems were written for the Coronation of King George II and his consort Queen Caroline in 1727. The service took place in Westminster Abbey on October 11 and was a splendid affair, its magnificence being mirrored in the four anthems that Handel composed for the occasion. Ledger recorded the 'Coronation Anthems' in 1982.



'The King Shall Rejoice' opens and closes jubilantly with trumpets and drums well in the fore.



'Zadok the Priest' is the shortest- but the best-known-of the four anthems and is a continous work, with a lengthy introduction gradually building up tension before the choir bursts forth in a glorious blaze of sound. This famous anthem has been sung at every British Coronation since 1727.



The central section of 'Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened', with its focus on 'justice and judgement' and 'mercy and truth', is slightly solemn, but like the first two anthems it ends with a triumphant 'Allelujah'. The two cental movements of 'My Heart is Inditing' are more lyrical than the outer ones, but the anthem ends with great magnificence, with trumpets and drums held in reserve until the energetic closing passage.



The four soloists for 'Coronation Anthems' are: Paul Smy (treble), Michael Chance (alto), Charles Daniels (tenor) and Gerald Finley (bass), an impressive group to be sure, who do not disappoint in their contributions to the recording. Although the 'choristers' do not seem to be in their best form, and though Ledger's speeds are moderate rather than fast, there are some beautiful moments none-the-less.



'Dixit Dominus', recorded by Willcocks in 1965, is a setting of Psalm 109. This work was composed in Rome in 1707 during Handel's tour of Italy between 1706 and 1710. The Psalm is used for Vespers throughout the year and this setting may have been written for performance at Easter. The eight movements are very varied in mood and texture, but are held together by a strong overall design. The soloists on this portion of the recording are: Theresa Zylis-Gara (soprano), Dame Janet Baker(mezzo-soprano), Martin Lane (alto), Robert Tear (tenor) and John Shirley-Quick (bass), all familiar to me except for the soprano, and all pull off their solos mostly very well.



Willcock's interpretation of this sounds a bit slow, but in 1965, it was on par with other interpretations. Janet Baker shows a tiny bit of strain in the second soprano part, but in the long run is a pleasure to hear. Martin Lane is possessed of a pleasing, though somewhat low-powered voice, but one must remember that the falsetto voice over the past twenty years has improved greatly, both in strength and range. The choral singing is well done and the rendition is really quite enjoyable. Sometimes when one 'picks' too much, the overall beauty is lost!



If you are fond of the English tradition of choral singing which means the use of boy sopranos and countertenors as opposed to female sopranos and altos, this album is for you. I personally like the clear ringing quality of the boy soprano as well as the velvety tone of the male alto so this recording is one of my favorites.



It is also quite unique in that it incorporates two separate recording sessions: first half of the album was recorded in l982 and the second half in l965. Both choirs are good and project an air of ceremonial magnificence. The high point for me was the Anthem:"My Heart is Inditing" featuring Paul Smy ,boy soprano and Michael Chance, alto.



I must add that the line-up includes some of Handel's most attractive anthems, one of which is the always popular:"Zadok, the Priest". The accompanying booklet gives essential background to the works, but no text."