Composer: George Frideric Handel
Performer: Julia Doyle, Ben Johnson, Peter Harvey, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Orchestra: Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Conductor: Howard Arman
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: BR Klassik
Catalogue: 900520
Release: 2017
Size: 1.41 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62 (Live)
CD 01
01. Overture
Part 1
02. Why Do the Gentiles Tumult
03. Let Us Break Off by Strength of Hand
04. Oh Lord, How Many Are My Foes
05. Him or His God We Not Fear
06. Jehovah, to My Words Give Ear
07. Him or His God We Scorn to Fear
08. The Highest, Who in Heav’n Doth Dwell
09. Oh, Who Shall Pour into My Swollen Eyes
10. Fly from the Threat’ning Vengeance, Fly
11. Humbled with Fear
12. His Scepter Is the Rod of Righteousness
13. Be Wise at Length
14. Of Many Millions the Populous Rout
15. Jehovah Is My Shield, My Glory
16. Fools or Madmen Stand
17. God Found Them Guilty
Part 2
18. Oh Liberty, Thou Choicest Treasure
19. Who Trusts in God
20. Prophetic Visions Strike My Eye
21. May God, from Whom All Mercies Spring
22. The Lord Hath Heard My Pray’r
23. Then Will I Jehovah’s Praise
24. All His Mercies Shall Endure
CD 02
Part 2
01. How Great and Many Perils Do Enfold
02. After Long Storms and Tempests Overblown
03. To God, Our Strength
04. He Has His Mansion Fix’d on High
05. Hallelujah, Your Voices Raise
Part 3
06. Sinfonia
07. I Will Sing unto the Lord
08. Who Is Like unto Thee, Oh Lord
09. He Gave Them Hailstones for Rain
10. When Warlike Ensigns Wave on High
11. The Enemy Said (Recitative)
12. The Enemy Said (Aria)
13. The Sword That’s Drawn in Virtue’s Cause
14. Millions Unborn Shall Bless the Hand
15. When Israel (Recitative)
16. When Israel (Aria)
17. Tyrants, Whom No Cov’nants Bind
18. May Balmy Peace (Recitative)
19. May Balmy Peace (Aria)
20. Blessed Are All They That Fear the Lord
For his Occasional Oratorio, composed in 1746 in an age of personal and political upheaval, Handel made generous use of much of his own earlier material, and this resulted in something quite close to an anthology: a choice collection of his most beautiful and most famous pieces – a ‘Best Of’, as it were. The Messiah librettist Charles Jennens complained loudly that the oratorio was “a triumph for a victory not yet gain’d”, and that its libretto, by a certain Newburgh Hamilton, was an “inconceivable jumble of John Milton and Edmund Spenser”. Nevertheless, the Occasional Oratorio offers the modern listener magnificent and largely familiar melodies, highly virtuosic Baroque arias, moving choruses and, above all, a magnificent Late Baroque sound that, in this extremely compact score, is quite unique. Audiences at the time probably considered this to be ‘Handel at his best’, and today’s public doubtlessly shares that opinion. This virtuoso and colourful interpretation, recorded recently on February 11, 2017 in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz, was an exemplary success, delighting the audience and the trade press alike. Howard Arman conducted the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Akademie für Alte Music Berlin with its historically informed performance practice, and a line-up of highly talented English soloists. This concert recording is also the world’s first recording of the Occasional Oratorio according to the historically researched and edited score of the Neue Hallische Handel edition.