Search - George Frederick Handel, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players :: Handel: Water Music; Music for the Royal Fireworks

George Frederick Handel, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players
Handel: Water Music; Music for the Royal Fireworks
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (23) - Disc #1
1. Ouverture
2. Adagio E Staccato
3. Allegro-Andante-Allegro
4. Menuet
5. Air
6. Minuet
7. Bourree
8. Hornpipe
9. Finale
10. Overture
11. Alla Hornpipe
12. Menuet
13. Rigaudon 1 & 2
14. Lentement
15. Bourree
16. Menuet 1 & 2
17. Country Dance 1 & 2
18. Menuet
19. Ouverture
20. Bourree
21. La Paix
22. La Rejouissance
23. Menuet 1 & 2

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CD Details

All Artists: George Frederick Handel, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players
Title: Handel: Water Music; Music for the Royal Fireworks
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: EMI Europe Generic
Release Date: 6/10/1997
Album Type: Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Forms & Genres, Suites, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750), Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 724354526527

Synopsis

Amazon.com

As usual, Roger Norrington manages to make the piece at hand sound scrappier than anyone else, conveying a nervous energy in his 1996 run-through with the London Classical Players that puts one more in mind of coffee than of water. Not much else distinguishes this reading, and to judge from the generic quality of the playing and the occasionally frayed string ensemble, the recording seems to have been phoned in as well. The Music for the Royal Fireworks is offered as a coupling. --Ted Libbey

CD Reviews

Splendid Recording of Handel's Water Music and Music for the

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 05/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I strongly beg to differ with the Amazon.com staff music critic who regards this recording as a "phoned-in" performance of these popular Handel instrumental works. Norrington has been among the most exciting, interesting conductors of Baroque and Classical music either in concert or in a recording, and this 1996 recording of these works is no exception. I truly enjoy the extensive warm, "skittish" performances of these works (I say "skittish" because they are truly scrappy, replete with nervous energy from the London Classical Players), with exceptional percussion playing in the Fireworks music suite and splendid performances from the winds and strings in the two Water Music suites and of course the Fireworks music suite too. I agree with a previous Amazon.com customer reviewer who observed that this recording is as fine as those from the likes of Trevor Pinnock and John Eliot Gardiner (Gardiner's recordings with his English Baroque Soloists I have to regard as definitive, but Norrington's interpretations and superb performances from his London Classical Players are clearly worthy of recognition too.). Without question, this is certainly a most desirable recording of these popular Handel instrumental suites."