The King'S Consort, Matthew Halls - Handel: Parnasso in Festa (2008)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 1, Overture. Un poco allegro – Più allegro – Allegro
02. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 2, Aria. Verginelle (Clio)
03. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 3, Coro. Corriamo pronte ad ubbidir
04. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 4, Recit. Germane, figlio amato (Apollo/Clio/Calliope/Orfeo/Clori/Euterpe/Marte)
05. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 5, Solo e Coro. Deh! cantate un bell'amor (Apollo)
06. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 6, Recit. Ma prima che s'avanzi (Apollo)
07. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 7, Aria. Spira al sen' celeste ardore (Orfeo)
08. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 8, Aria. Gran Tonante, Giove immenso (Apollo)
09. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 9, Coro. Già vien da lui il nostro ben
10. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 10, Recit. Spettacolo gradito (Clio)
11. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 11, Aria. Con un vezzo lusinghiero (Clio)
12. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 12, Recit. Rimembranza gradita (Apollo)
13. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 13, Duetto. Sin le grazie nel bel volto (Apollo/Clio)
14. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 14, Recit. Ma di sì belle fiamme (Clio)
15. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 15, Aria. Quanto breve è il Godimento (Clio)
16. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 16, Recit. Vada in oblio memoria sì funesta (Apollo)
17. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 17, Coro. Cantiam a Bacco in sì lieto dì
18. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 18, Aria. Del nume Lieo (Marte)
19. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 19, Aria. Sciolga dunque al balla al canto (Apollo)
20. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 20, Coro e Soli. S'accenda pur di festa il cor (Clio/Calliope/Apollo)
21. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 1: No. 21, Coro. Replicati al ballo al canto
22. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 1, Soli e Coro. Nel petto sento un certo ardor (Calliope/Euterpe/Clori/Clio)
23. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 2, Recit. Qual tetra nube, Orfeo (Apollo)
24. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 3, Aria. Torni Pure un' bel splendore (Apollo)
25. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 4, Recit. Ogn'un mi siegua, e Godi (Clio)
26. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 5, Aria. Nel spiegar sua voce al canto (Clio)

CD2
01. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 6, Recit. E non s'udiran mai (Clori)
02. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 7, Coro. O quanto bella gloria
03. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 8, Aria. Tra sentier di amene selve (Clori)
04. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 9, Coro. O quanto bella gloria
05. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 10, Recit. Che mai facesti Orfeo? (Calliope)
06. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 11, Aria. Già le furie vedo ancor' (Calliope)
07. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 12, Accompagnato. Dopo d'aver perduto il caro bene (Orfeo)
08. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 13, Aria. Ho perso il caro ben' (Orfeo)
09. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 14, Coro. S'unisce al tuo martir
10. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 15, Recit. Figlio, diletto Orfeo (Apollo)
11. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 16, Duetto. Cangia in gioia il tuo dolor (Apollo/Clio)
12. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 17, Recit. Di Nettuno seguaci (Apollo)
13. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 2: No. 18, Coro. Coralli e perle vogliamo offrir
14. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 1. Sinfonia
15. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 2, Recit. Io che degli avi eccelsi (Marte)
16. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 3, Coro e Solo. Si parli ancor di trionfar (Marte)
17. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 4, Recit. O stirpe gloriosa (Orfeo)
18. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 5, Aria. Da sorgente rilucente (Orfeo)
19. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 6, Recit. Dall'opre illustri dei genitor (Calliope)
20. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 7, Aria. Sempre aspira eccelso core (Calliope)
21. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 8, Recit. Delle dotte germane (Apollo)
22. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 9, Aria. Non tardate Fauni ancora (Apollo)
23. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 10, Coro. Accorriam senza dimora
24. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 11, Recit. Sia degli eccelsi sposi (Clio)
25. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 12, Aria. Circondin lor' vite (Clio)
26. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 13, Recit. Con un' spirito divoto (Euterpe)
27. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 14, Aria. Han' mente eroica (Euterpe)
28. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 15, Recit. Di virtù, di valor, pietà, e clemenza (Apollo)
29. Parnasso in Festa, HWV 73, Pt. 3: No. 16, Solo e Coro. Lunga serie d'alti eroi (Apollo)

Hyperion’s Record of the Month sees the long overdue return to the studio of The King’s Consort, under the baton of the group’s newly appointed Artistic Director Matthew Halls. Here the ensemble presents the premiere recording of Handel’s Parnasso in Festa: a unique example in Handel’s 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 Anne’s marriage to Prince William of Orange.

In Handel’s 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 serenata’s middle part. For a composer who later excelled at representing the musical ikons Timotheus and St Cecilia, and who was described by contemporaries as ‘the Orpheus of our age’, the depiction of Orfeo is fascinating. Created two years before Alexander’s Feast, and five years before A Song for St Cecilia’s 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.

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