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Handel: Solomon
George Frederick Handel, Joachim Martini, Ewa Wolak
Handel: Solomon
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (30) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (34) - Disc #2

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 (th...  more »

     
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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"