Composer: George Frederick Handel
Performer: Jill Gomez, Robert Tear, Philip Langridge, Benjamin Luxon
Orchestra: Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Conductor: Neville Marriner
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Decca
Size: 701 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Symphony
02. Oh, The Pleasure Of The Plains
03. Ye Verdant Plains
04. Hush, Ye Pretty Warbling Quire!
05. Where Shall I Seek The Charming Fair?
06. Stay, Shepherd, Stay!
07. Shepherd, What Art Thou Pursuing?
08. Lo! Here My Love!
09. Love In Her Eyes Sits Playing
10. Oh! Didst Thou Know The Pains
11. As When The Dove Laments Her Love
12. Happy We !
13. Wretched Lovers!
14. I Rage-I Melt-I Burn!
15. O Ruddier Than The Cherry
16. Whither, Fairest, Art Thou Running
17. Cease To Beauty To Be Suing
18. Would You Gain The Tender Creature
19. His Hideous Love Provokes My Rage
20. Love Sounds Th’alarm
21. Consider, Fond Shepherd
22. Cease, Oh Cease, Thou Gentle Youth
23. The Flocks Shall Leave The Mountains
24. Help, Galatea! Help, Ye Parent Gods!
25. Mourn, All Ye Muses!
26. Must I My Acis Still Bemoan
27. ’tis Done: Thus I Exert My Pow’r Divine
28. Galatea, Dry Thy Tears
29. Pour Les Chasseurs I & Ii
30. Recitative: Look Down, Look Down
31. Aria: Sweet Accents All Your Numbers Grace
32. Meine Seele HÖRt Im Sehen
33. SÜSse Stille, Sanfter Quelle
34. Recitative: The Faithless Theseus…
35. Aria: Ah Theseus, Theseus Stay
36. Recit: The Jolly God Who Rules
37. Aria: Cease Lovely Nymph To Weep
38. Recitative: With Soft Reluctance
39. Aria: Learn Hence Ye Fond Maidens
40. Recit: Fair Caelia Love Prevented
41. Aria: To All The Sex Deceitfull
42. Recit: But Caelia Now Repenting
43. Aria: How Engaging, How Endearing
44. Momus To Mars
45. The Lass Of Richmond Hill
O Ruddier than the cherry
I have heard many recordings of Acis and Galatea, and this is one is my favorite. In the interests of full disclosure one would have to note the lack of a rich bass tone in Benjamin Luxon’s Polyphemus, and a vocally out of sorts Acis from the usually reliable Robert Tear, but on the whole the show plays well. Jill Gomez is a fine Galatea, with an unusual, tangy vocal tone. There are also a wonderful couple of solos from the lamented Phillip Langridge, whose solos seem to me to be perfect Handel tenor singing. Sir Neville Mariner keeps textures light, and the small chorus (of famous soloists in their own right) are both rich sounding and fleet. The fill up items are a collection of Baroque arias and songs sung by Robert Tear, that show him off wonderfully, and make the heaviness of his performance of Acis all the more puzzling. On the whole this is a fine production in good Decca (originally Argo) sound.
thank you very much