Handel: Streams Of Pleasure - Lemieux, Gauvin, Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco (2011)

The oratorios from which Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux perform excerpts on Streams of Pleasure were premiered between 1744 and 1750 and are among Handel’s last compositions. Soprano and contralto are joined for this pleasurable collection by internationally acclaimed early music ensemble Il Complesso Barocco under its musical director Alan Curtis.

Founded by Alan Curtis in Amsterdam in 1979, Il Complesso Barocco has become a renowned Baroque orchestra with a focus on Italian opera and oratorio of the period. Its rich discography was for a time devoted to the late madrigal repertory, but it has also released an award-winning recording of Rossi’s Primo Libro di Madrigali, as well as a disc of Handel’s arias and duets, Amore e Gelosia with Patrizia Ciofi and Joyce DiDonato. Il Complesso Barocco’s releases of Handel operas include Dmeto, Rodrigo, Arminio, Deidamia, Radamisto, Berenice, Alcina, and Ariodante, several of which have won the ‘International Handel Recording Prize’.

Highly regarded contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux has recorded for numerous labels, and now enjoys an exclusive contract with Naïve, for which she has recorded the title roles in Vivaldi’s operas Griselda and Orlando furioso, and La Fida Ninfa. In recent times she has released a critically acclaimed programme of Vivaldi arias with the Ensemble Matheus under Jean-Christophe Spinosi.

Fellow Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin’s has recorded for labels including ATMA, Astrée, and Dorian, and has appeared on Naïve’s recording of Vivaldi’s Tito Manlio as well Handel’s Ezio, Alcina, and Tolomeo with I’l Complesso Barocco for DG and DG Archiv.

Composer: George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin, Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco

Reviews: This disc, titled Streams of Pleasure after the duet from Theodora , presents arias and duets from Handel’s oratorios premiered between 1744 and 1750; of the later oratorios, only Jephtha is not represented. Although some of these works (at least in their entirety) do not represent Handel at his best, even those from Handel’s second tier contain great and beautiful music.


The selections are fairly evenly divided; Karina Gauvin sings five arias, Marie-Nicole Lemieux has four, and they combine for six duets. Although we find some of selections we would expect to see from these works, the compilers of this program (presumably Curtis and his singers together) have bypassed some expected selections for less-well-known alternatives, such as “Our Limpid Streams” from Joshua instead of the expected “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre.” “Prophetic Raptures” from Joseph and His Brethren is given in its first version; it was later shortened by ten bars.


In a recent review of Handel’s Ariodante , I praised Lemieux’s singing of the villain Polinesso. I enjoy her work here as well. She sometimes gives her voice a hooded, darker sound which seems especially appropriate to the (mostly) male characters she sings. She is, however, capable of lightening her tone as well, which she effectively does for the one female character she sings, Irene from Theodora . She is technically secure and has a decent trill, although she is not quite as smooth in florid music as Gauvin.


I have been an admirer of Gauvin since I first encountered her on recordings, and she continues to impress. The voice is beautiful, the technique assured and spotless. She does a credible job of portraying the characters whose music she sings, which must be difficult in such a program with the music taken out of context. Gauvin and Lemieux are splendid in their duets, with their voices producing a lovely, blended sound.


Curtis is of course very familiar from his peerless series of Handel operas. As one might expect, his conducting of these oratorio excerpts is equally adept. Curtis sets reasonable tempos, is supportive of his singers, and is respectful of Handel’s score. Da capo ornaments are tasteful and idiomatic. Il Complesso Barocco is up to its usual high standards.


In sum, what we have here is Streams of Pleasure indeed. Highly recommended.

Tracklisting:

1. Belshazzar, HWV 61: Destructive war, thy limits know by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1745; London, England

2. Theodora, HWV 68: To thee, thou glorious son of worth by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1749-1750; London, England

3. Alexander Balus, HWV 65: Fury, with red sparkling eyes by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1748; England

4. Susanna, HWV 66: Crystal streams in murmurs flowing by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1749; London, England

5. Theodora, HWV 68: As with rosy steps the Morn advancing by George Frideric Handel
Period: Baroque
Written: 1749-1750; London, England

6. Joseph and his Brethren, HWV 59: Prophetic raptures swell my breast by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque

7. Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63: From this dread scene by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco

8. Joshua, HWV 64: Our limpid streams with freedom flow by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1748; London, England

9. Solomon, HWV 67: Can I see my infant gor'd by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1749; London, England

10. Theodora, HWV 68: Streams of pleasure ever flowing by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1749-1750; London, England

11. Alexander Balus, HWV 65: Fair virtue shall charm me by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco

12. Solomon, HWV 67: Welcome as the dawn of day by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1749; London, England

13. Hercules, HWV 60: My father! Ah, methinks I see by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1744; London, England

14. Theodora, HWV 68: Oh! that I on wings could rise by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: 1749-1750; London, England

15. Belshazzar, HWV 61: Great victor, at your feet I bow by George Frideric Handel
Performer: Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Conductor: Alan Curtis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1745; London, England




Thanks to the original releaser