Freiburger Barockorchester, Petra Müllejans & Gottfried von der Goltz - Handel: Concerti a due cori (2018) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist
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01. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: I. Ouverture
02. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: II. Allegro
03. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: III. Allegro ma non troppo
04. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: IV. Adagio
05. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: V. Andante larghetto
06. Concerto in F Major, HWV 334: VI. Allegro
07. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: I. Ouverture
08. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: II. Allegro ma non troppo
09. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: III. Allegro
10. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: IV. Largo
11. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: V. A tempo ordinario
12. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: VI. Alle breve moderato
13. Concerto in B-Flat Major, HWV 332: VII. Minuet
14. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: I. Pomposo
15. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: II. Allegro
16. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: III. A tempo giusto
17. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: IV. Largo
18. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: V. Allegro ma non troppo
19. Concerto in F Major, HWV 333: VI. A tempo ordinario

Handel’s focus in his three Concerti a due cori was on lively rhythms, arresting dialogue and vibrant colours, so his slow movements take something of a back seat, except here where he returned to Esther for a long, lilting siciliana in which the reedy oboes add a poignant edge to the movement’s lingering minor-key melancholy. This prepares the way perfectly for the finest movement of the work, which proudly revives a ground bass Handel had first used in his Birthday Ode for Queen Anne in 1713. Here, its pounding theme – typical of the early Venetian concerto – is taken up by all the strings in unison, frequently as a foil to the contrasting ideas proffered by the wind and brass. It’s hard not to sense in the complete transformation of the original, now amplified with idiomatic horn parts and rich concerto textures, Handel’s rekindled enthusiasm for the music he had first penned over three decades before. In the final movement two oboes are singled out for a virtuoso conversation, while the orchestra relies on the sturdy pillars of a chorus from the Occasional Oratorio.

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