COMPOSERS: Handel
LABELS: Erato
WORKS: Concerti grossi, Op. 3
PERFORMER: Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski
CATALOGUE NO: 4509-94354-2 DDD
Handel’s Op. 3 set of Concerti grossi are given exceptionally spirited performances here, benefiting from the pungent but also plangently expressive tone of the period instruments. The slow movements are beautiful ly realised, the fast ones invigorating, with extremely brisk tempi and trenchant, even fierce, articulation. Handel in overdrive is undeniably exciting, but just occasionally you wish they’d select a lower gear. Barry Millington
Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 3
Handel’s Op. 3 set of Concerti grossi are given exceptionally spirited performances here, benefiting from the pungent but also plangently expressive tone of the period instruments. The slow movements are beautiful ly realised, the fast ones invigorating, with extremely brisk tempi and trenchant, even fierce, articulation. Handel in overdrive is undeniably exciting, but just occasionally you wish they’d select a lower gear. Barry Millington
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm