Handel: Acis and Galatea

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While no-one nowadays would suggest that Handel's score needs such additions, Mendelssohn was a man of considerable taste, who made his changes with the best possible motives. In 'Hush ye pretty... — BBC Music Magazine, March 2009, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 12th Jan 2009
Catalogue No: CAR83420
Label: Carus
Length: 72 minutes

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Excerpt, Handel: Acis and Galatea

Work length3:22

$1.10

$1.50

FestspielOrchester Göttingen
Nicholas McGegan
Recorded: 2008-09-01

Overture (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length3:22

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Handel: Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 / Act I

Work length26:10

$12.10

$16.50

Julia Kleiter (soprano), Christoph Prégardien (tenor), Michael Slattery (tenor)
FestspielOrchester Göttingen, NDR Chor
Nicholas McGegan
Recorded: 2008-09-01

Oh wie reizend ist dies Tal (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length5:37

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Du grüne Flur (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:03

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Schweig, o luftg'ger Sängechor (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length5:12

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Wo find ich dich (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:24

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Sei wachsam, Hirt (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:28

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Junger Hirt, du suchst vergebens (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length4:59

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Geliebte, sieh, o Galatea (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:30

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Lieb' in den Blicken wohnet (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:37

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Oh kenntest du der Trennung bitt're Pein (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:20

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Selig Glück (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:44

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Selig Glück (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:16

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Handel: Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 / Act II

Work length43:00

$18.70

$25.50

Julia Kleiter (soprano), Michael Slattery (tenor), Christoph Prégardien (tenor), Wolf Matthias Friedrich (bass)
FestspielOrchester Göttingen, NDR Chor
Nicholas McGegan
Recorded: 2008-09-01

Unglücksel'ge, das Geschick (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length3:59

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Ich rase (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:12

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Du röter als die Kirsche (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:47

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Willst du, Schönste, nicht verweilen (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:14

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Wohl das Flehen will ich lassen (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:13

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Liebe kannst du nur gewinnen (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length4:12

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Des Riesen Lieb (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:29

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Auf in den Kampf (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length3:57

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Sieh, törichter Schäfer (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length3:12

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Still, o still, du holder Knab (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:27

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Den Berg verlässt die Herde (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:31

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Hilf, Galatea! (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length1:13

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Weint all ihr Musen (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length4:00

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Muss ich dem Teuren Klage weinen (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length3:59

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Wohlan, so üb ich Göttermacht an dir (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length0:27

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Herz, der süßen Liebe Bild (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length4:20

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Galatea, trau're nicht (Arr. Mendelssohn)

Track length2:48

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Acis and Galatea was one of the most successful of George Frideric Handel’s works during his lifetime. Nicholas McGegan and his Festspiel Orchester Göttingen, along with the North German Radio Choir, and an excellent ensemble of soloists (including Julia Kleiter and Christoph Prégardien) are heard in this recently discovered version by Mendelssohn.

Reviews

March 2009

While no-one nowadays would suggest that Handel's score needs such additions, Mendelssohn was a man of considerable taste, who made his changes with the best possible motives. In 'Hush ye pretty warbling choir'… Mendelssohn's luminous chords have their own elfin magic to replace Handel's quirkier birdsong. Nicholas McGegan sways a light baton over the whole, and both his players and soloists are good, with a scrupulously well-trained choir in attendance.

2010

The virtues of Acis and Galatea were clear enough more than a century later for the 19-year-old Mendelssohn to arrange the work for the Berlin Sing-Akademie in 1828-29 (with a German version of the libretto prepared by his sister Fanny). One might uncharitably (but accurately) criticise that the teenage Mendelssohn's feverish excitement at discovering Handel led to him throwing everything he could (almost including the kitchen sink, so it seems) at the music. Unlike Mozart's more discreet and softer reorchestration of Acis (1788), there is an intense amount of intervention in Mendelssohn's orchestral score, which is tailored for a full-scale symphony orchestra and large chorus.
Nicholas McGegan and his Göttingen Festival Orchestra gave the modern premiere of Mendelssohn's score at the 2008 Göttingen Handel Festival, and the ensuing recording is crisply detailed. The most amusing effects are huge bursts of brass and timpani explosions associated with Polyphemus, who is sung with gusto by Wolf Matthias Friedrich. Acis is sung with a hint of strain by Christoph Prégardien, and Julia Kleiter's Galatea is efficient.
The NDR Choir are jovial or doleful as the music requires. McGegan directs with liveliness, and it's hard to imagine this arrangement receiving a better advocate. It's bombastic and clumsy in comparison to Handel's delightful original, but the young Mendelssohn's perspective is entertaining.

January 2009

The most amusing effects are huge bursts of brass and timpani explosions associated with Polyphemus, who is sung with gusto by Wolfe Matthias Friedrich. McGegan directs with liveliness, and it’s hard to imagine this arrangement receiving a better advocate.

18th January 2009

The happy coincidence of Handel and Mendelssohn anniversaries – the 250th of Handel’s death, the 200th of Mendelssohn’s birth – make this a timely issue. Julia Kleiter’s enchanting Galatea, Christoph
Prégardien’s virile Acis and Wolf Matthias Friedrich’s slightly po-faced Polyphemus are superb stylists.

Handel: Acis and Galatea

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