Handel - Athalia

Handel - Athalia

Handel - Athalia
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CD Details

Composer: George Frideric Handel
Conductor: Peter Neumann
Orchestra: Collegium Cartusianum
Performer: Simone Kermes
Performer: Olga Pasichnyk
Performer: Thomas Cooley
Performer: Martin Oro
Performer: Trine Wilberg Lund
Performer: Wolf Matthias Friedrich
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-01-25
Music Label: MD&G Records
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. 1.Allegro/2.Grave/3.Allegro
  2. Blooming Virgins
  3. The Rising World Jehovah Crown'd
  4. Tyrants Would In Impious Throngs
  5. When He Is In His Wrath Reveal'd
  6. 1. When Storms The Proud To Terrors Doom/2. Oh Judah, Boast His Matchless Law
  7. Your Sacred Songs
  8. Oh Judah, Judah! Chosen Seed!
  9. 1. Oh Lord, Whom We Adore/2. Hear From Thy Mercy
  10. What Scenes Of Horror
  11. Oh Mathan, Aid Me
  12. Athalia, Tremble At Thy Fate!
  13. The Gods, Who Chosen Blessings Shed
  14. Her Form At His Began
  15. Cheer Her, Oh Baal
  16. Amidst These Horrors
  17. Gentle Airs, Melodious Strains!
  18. Softest Sounds No More Can Ease Me
  19. Swift To The Temple
  20. The Traitor If You There Descry
  21. My Josabeth!
  22. Faithful Cares In Vain Extended
  23. O Cease, Fair Princess
  24. 1. Gloomy Tyrants/2. Hallelujah
Music CD 2
  1. The Mighty Pow'r, In Whom We Trust
  2. Through The Land So Lovely Blooming
  3. Ah! Were This Land
  4. Ah, Can'st Thou But Prove Me!
  5. Thou Dost The Ardour
  6. Confusion To My Thoughts!
  7. Will God, Whose Mercies Ever Flow
  8. Tis My Intention
  9. My Vengeance Awakes Me
  10. My Spirits Fail
  11. Dear Josabeth, I Trembled
  12. Cease Thy Anguish, Smile Once More
  13. Joad, Ere Day Has Ended Half His Race
  14. 1. The Clouded Scene Begins To Clear/2. When Crimes Aloud For Vengeance Call/3.Rejoice, Oh Judah, In Thy God
  15. What Sacred Horrors Shake My Breast
  16. Unfold, Great Seer
  17. Let Harmony
  18. 1. Jerusalem Thou Shalt No More/2. Oh Shining Mercy
  19. Eliakim! My Father!
  20. With Firm United Hearts
  21. Oh Princess, I Approach Thee
  22. Soothing Tyrant, Falsely Smiling!
  23. Apostate Priest!
  24. Around Let Acclamations Ring
  25. Oh Treason, Treason!
  26. Oppression, No Longer I Dread Thee
  27. Where I Am?
  28. Hark! Hark, Hark! His Thunders Round Me Roll
  29. Yes, Proud Apostate
  30. To Darkness Eternal
  31. Now, Josabeth
  32. Joys, In Gentle Trains Appearing
  33. Rejoice, Oh Judah
  34. Give Glory To His Awful Name

Music reviews of Handel - Athalia

Music Review: Strong Performance of Handel's 1st Great English Oratorio
Rating: 5 Stars

Please note: I believe the previous reviewer's comments concerning sound quality don't refer to this recording at all, but to the performance (under Joachim Carlos Martini) on Naxos 8.554364-65. This version, under Peter Neumann, has warm, well-focused acoustics, perhaps a bit more reverberant and 'churchy' than one would ideally like, but flattering to both voices & orchestra.
This is in fact the first serious challenge to Christopher Hogwood's landmark 1st recording; Naxos has its attractions, not least the low price, but overall this is in a different league. 'Athalia' is Handel's 3rd English oratorio, arguably the 1st completely successful one both as music & drama. Like 'Esther,' it's based on a play by Jean Racine which sought to emulate the ancient Greek tragedy, thus providing composers with ready-made choral interludes. (In additional to the original Moreau score, both Mendelssohn and the 20th century Swiss composer Frank Martin set Racine's verses for productions of the play.) The libretto for 'Athalia' presents a sort of Reader's Digest version of the play; Handel's audience would have filled in the back story and plot details from their knowledge of the Bible. While later Handel works such as 'Samson,''Saul,''Belshazzar,''Theodora' & 'Jeptha' delve deeper, the characters here are firmly & vividly drawn, not least the guilt-ridden 'apostate Queen' herself, whose downfall forms the central action of the piece.
Conducting, choral & orchestral work are all 1st rate, & the cast of soloists is generally strong. The standouts are soprano Simone Kermes (Athalia), who delivers a strongly dramatic reading, & bass Wolf Matthias Friedrich (Abner). Another supporting singer, tenor Thomas Cooley (Mathan) is also excellent, & the only native English-speaker. In the central soprano role of Josabeth, Olga Pasichnyk sounds consistently lovely, but doesn't always summon the requisite fire for the character's feistier moments, such as the indignant 'Soothing tyrant.' Countertenor Martin Oro is not especially distinguished as Joad (one of the few leading Handel roles actually originated by a countertenor) & Trine Wilsberg Lund, a woman in a boy soprano role (Joas) is fine, although one misses the contrasting timbre of a treble's voice, especially in the key Act II scene with all 3 sopranos. The English is accurate, if occasionally accented, & not always ideally clear. Overall, however, under Neumann's acute direction, it's an exciting & deeply felt performance.
Hogwood's strongly cast version still deserves consideration, however. He may not be as dramatically inclined a conductor, but he has all-English-speaking forces, which many may consider a plus. Another factor is that the 3 soprano roles are cast with far more contrasted voices: there's a boy soprano (Aled Jones) & 2 mightily different women, Emma Kirkby (Josabeth) & Joan Sutherland (Athalia). The latter may be audibly past her prime in spots, with occluded or unsteady tone, but she brings both great musical & dramatic authority to the part, & as was invariably the case when she worked under conductors other than her husband, her diction is far clearer than one might expect.
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