Composer: John Church, William Croft, George Frideric Handel, Giovanni Pittoni
Performer: Robert Crowe, Il Furioso
Conductor: Victor Coelho, David Dolata
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Toccata
Catalogue: TOCC0337
Release: 2017
Size: 1.05 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Handel: Amen in F Major, HWV 270
01. Amen No. 1 in F Major, HWV 270
Pittoni: Intavolatura di tiorba, Op. 1, Sonata No. 9 in D Minor
02. II. (Andante)
03. Croft: What art thou, “A Hymn on Divine Musick”
04. Handel: Amen, Alleluia in G Major, HWV 273
05. Handel: Amen in G Minor, HWV 271
06. Handel: Amen, Alleluia in A Minor, HWV 274
Pittoni: Intavolatura di tiorba, Op. 1, Sonata No. 10 in G Major
07. I. Grave
08. II. Allegro
09. III. Allegro
10. Handel: Amen, Alleluia in F Major, HWV 276
11. anon.: A Divine Song on the Passion of Our Saviour
Handel: Amen, Alleluia in D Minor, HWV 269
12. Intavolatura di tiorba, Op. 1, Sonata No. 9 in D Minor
13. Intavolatura di tiorba, Op. 1, Sonata No. 9 in D Minor: Ib. (Andante)
14. Handel: Amen, Alleluia in F Major, HWV 277
Handel: Pieces for the Braamcamp Handel-Clay Clock
15. No. 3, Minuet (From HWV 436)
16. No. 4, Variation (From HWV 436)
17. Church: A Divine Hymn
Handel: Pieces for the Braamcamp Handel-Clay Clock
18. No. 10, 6th Air
19. Handel: Amen, Alleluia in D Minor, HWV 272
Pittoni: Intavolatura di tiorba, Op. 1, Sonata No. 11 in A Minor
20. III. (Andante)
Handel: Amen, Alleluia in C Major, HWV 275
21. Amen in F Major, HWV 270
22. Amen in F Major, HWV 270 (Ornamented)
Over a period of some twenty years, from the late 1720s, Handel composed a series of virtuoso arias using only the words Allelujah and Amen as his texts. They were probably for use in private worship, and take their place in the tradition of Divine Song established by Purcell and other composers. Here they receive their first recordings, set in a context of contemporary sacred song and instrumental music, with theaccompaniment provided by the beguiling sound of two theorbos and chamber organ. They are heard here in the extraordinarily dramatic timbres of a male-soprano voice perhaps as close as modern listeners can come to the vocal acrobatics of the castrati who so amazed their own audiences.