Peter Neumann, Collegium Cartusianum, Kölner Kammerchor - George Frideric Handel: Belshazzar (2001)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 775 Mb | Total time: 65:57+66:22+31:20 | Scans included
Classical | Label: MDG | # 332 1079-2 | Recorded: 2001
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 775 Mb | Total time: 65:57+66:22+31:20 | Scans included
Classical | Label: MDG | # 332 1079-2 | Recorded: 2001
Belshazzar is one of Handel’s works that could be called a total failure at the time of its first performance. Premiered in 1745 to a nearly empty house, contemporary reports say that it was a disastrously bad performance. This oratorio never gained popularity in Handel’s lifetime, and he only performed it twice after the first performance. Yet this is no minor work. Full of great Handelian arias, and stirring choral movements, this oratorio deserves to stand among his greatest works. Drama and energy play like a flame through the pages of this work. It has everything a Handel oratorio needs: tension, excitement, and attractive melodies.
Peter Neumann has recorded four oratorios for MDG, all with the same good sound, and with well chosen soloists. Soprano Simone Kernes is wonderful, and shines in several arias. Bass Franz-Josef Selig is of also strong, and his first solo aria, Oppress’d with never-ceasing grief, has that familiar sound that recalls so many other arias in Handel’s oratorios. Alto Christopher Robson is a bit of a disappointment, however; his voice is weak and wispy, and not very attractive.
I am partial to the long, strophic arias that Handel includes in each of his oratorios. There is something about the way the music settles in over such a long time and develops in energy. Here, two such arias stand out, each over eight minutes long: O, sacred oracles of truth!, very well sung by alto Patrick van Goethem, and The leafy honours of the field, sung by Simone Kernes, who, unfortunately does not have enough chances to show her talent in this work. She has a magnificently pure voice, perfectly suited to the Handelian repertoire. It is a joy to listen to her in this music.
There are several magnificent, joyous choral movements, beginning with Behold, by Persia’s hero made. Pete Neumann’s choirs are consistently good in all of his Handel recordings, and this work is no exception. This is all the more extraordinary when one considers the difficulty in obtaining such fine choral recordings, so well-balanced with the orchestra, in live performances.
Peter Neumann again shows that he is one of today’s finest interpreters of Handel’s oratorios. With a bold approach, recording live performances to capture the energy of the stage, and MDG’s trademark high-quality sound, this is a strong contender.–Kirk McElhearn
Performer:
Belshazzar - Markus Brutscher, tenor
Nitocris - Simone Kermes, soprano
Cyrus - Christopher Robson, countertenor
Daniel - Patrick van Goethem, countertenor
Gobrias - Franz-Josef Selig, bass
Kölner Kammerchor
Collegium Cartusianum
Conductor - Peter Neumann
Tracklist:
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Belshazzar, HWV 61
CD1:
01. Overture
02. Act I. Recitative: Vain, fluctuating state of human empire! (Nitocris)
03. Air: Thou, God most high, and Thou alone (Nitocris)
04. Chorus of Babylonians: Behold, by Persias's hero made
05. Recitative: Well may they laugh (Gobrias, Cyrus)
06. Air: Oprress'd with never-ceasing grief (Gobrias)
07. Air: Dry those unavailing tears (Cyrus)
08. Recitative: Be comforted, safe though the tyrant (Cyrus, Gobrias)
09. Air: Behold the monstrous human beast (Gobrias)
10. Recitative: Can you then think it strange (Cyrus)
11. Air: Great God! (Cyrus)
12. Recitative: My friends, be confident (Cyrus)
13. Chorus: All empires upon God depend
14. Air: Oh, sacred oracles of truth! (Daniel)
15. Chorus of Jews: Sing, oh ye heav'ns!
16. Air: Let festal joy triumphant reign! (Belshazzar)
17. Recitative: For you, my friends, the nobles of my court (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
18. Air: The leafy honours of the field (Nitocris)
CD2:
01. Recitative: It is the custom, I may say, the law (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
02. Chorus of Jews: Recall, oh king! thy rash command
03. Recitative: They tell you true (Nitocris, Belshazzar)
04. Duet: Oh dearer than my life, forbear! (Nitocris, Belshazzar)
05. Chorus of Jews: By slow degrees the wrath of God
06. Act II. Chorus of Persians: See, from his post Euphrates flies!
07. Recitative: You see my friends (Cyrus)
08. Air: Amaz'd to find the foe so near (Cyrus)
09. Chorus of Persians: To arms, to arms!
10. Chorus of Babylonians: Ye tutelar gods of our empire
11. Air: Let the deep bowl thy praise confess (Belshazzar)
12. Recitative: Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r? (Belshazzar, Chorus of Babylonias)
13. Recitative: Call all my Wise Men (Belshazzar)
14. Sinfonia. Allegro Postillions
15. Recitative: Ye sages! welcome always to your king (Belshazzar, Wise Men)
16. Chorus of Babylonians: Oh misery! - oh terror!
17. Recitative: Oh king, live for ever! (Nitocris, Belshazzar)
18. Air: No! to thyself thy trifles be (Daniel)
19. Recitative: Yet to obey (Daniel)
20. Recitative: Oh sentence too severe! (Nitocris)
21. Air: Regard, oh son, my flowing tears (Nitocris)
22. Air: Oh God of truth, oh faithful guide (Cyrus)
23. Recitative: You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace (Cyrus)
24. Chorus of Persians: Oh glorius prince! thrice happy
CD3:
01. Act III.Air: Alternate hopes and fears distract my mind (Nitocris)
02. Recitative: Fain would I hope (Nitocris, Daniel)
03. Air: Can the black Aethiop change his skin? (Daniel)
04. Recitative: My hopes revive (Nitocris, Messenger)
05. Chorus of Jews: Bel boweth down! Nebo stoopeth!
06. Air: I thank thee, Sesach (Belshazzar)
07. Martial Symphony
08. Air: To pow'r immortal my first thanks are due (Gobrias)
09. Recitative: Be it thy care, good Gobrias (Cyrus)
10. Air: Destructive War, thy limits know (Cyrus)
Duet: Great victor, at your feet I bow (Nitocris, Cyrus)
12. Recitative: Say, venerable prophet (Cyrus, Daniel)
13. Soli and Chorus: Tell it out among the heathen
14. Recitative: Yes, I will build thy city, God of Israel! (Cyrus)
15. Anthem: I will magnify Thee, oh God, my king! (Soli and Chorus)
Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 2 from 29. April 2011
EAC extraction logfile from 25. May 2012, 12:53
Collegium Cartusianum / Händel - Belshazzar CD 1
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==== Log checksum 420B2378C1FFE7C1D4E82916AB57E1301B17B94FA6180B64B4CC4A5B2C882FC2 ====
Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 2 from 29. April 2011
EAC extraction logfile from 25. May 2012, 14:02
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Utilize accurate stream : Yes
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Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
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==== Log checksum 109A2A8E09C922F751ECB654864A06C7B17366C1059322729651D5CFDFFCC462 ====
Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 2 from 29. April 2011
EAC extraction logfile from 28. May 2012, 23:24
Collegium Cartusianum / Händel - Belshazzar CD 3
Used drive : PIONEER BD-RW BDR-206 Adapter: 2 ID: 3
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 667
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 896 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\FLAC\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -5 -T "Artist=%artist%" -T "Title=%title%" -T "Album=%albumtitle%" -T "Date=%year%" -T "Tracknumber=%tracknr%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source% -o %dest%
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Copy CRC A8092751
Copy OK
No errors occurred
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==== Log checksum 4A581239CEF7F55FC9E01BB548A088F4BF8F05AF3D05063C1AEBA5F6A6BD7788 ====
Thanks to the original releaser