G.F.Handel - Athalia & Alcina (Sutherland)

2 CD MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 249Mb

Joan Sutherland (Athalia)
Emma Kirkby (Josabeth)
Aled Jones (Joas)
James Bowman (Joad)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Mathan)
David Thomas (Abner)

The Academy of Ancient Music
Choir of New College, Oxford
dir. Christopher Hogwood

This must be one of the greatest of all Handel oratorio sets. A glorious performance with really excellent singers - Kirkby and Sutherland both exceptional and wonderfully contrasted, James Bowman and Rolfe-Johnson both first rate - and a really beautiful piece of music. Hogwood is truly on form and the set is very nicely paced. Athalia is credited as the first truly great English oratorio and this set surely does it full justice.

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CDs - Booklet


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CDs - Booklet


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3 CD - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 211Mb


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Part 1 - Part 2


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Part 1 - Part 2


Joan Sutherland (Alcina)
Jeannette van Dijck (Morgana)
Norma Procter (Bradamante)
Fritz Wunderlich (Ruggiero)
Nicola Monti (Oronte)
Thomas Hemsley (Melisso)

Kolner Rundfunkchor
dir. Bernhard Zimmermann

Cappella Coloniensis
dir. Ferdinand Leitner

This recording is the first official release in any format of this once-in-a-lifetime concert performance featuring Dame Joan Sutherland and Fritz Wunderlich. In 1959 performances of Handel were just beginning to embrace the original instrument movement making this recording an invaluable historic record of performance practice. In addition to musicological interest, the CDs present Joan Sutherland at the beginning of her illustrious career in the full bloom of youth. She was flown in as a last minute replacement for the scheduled soprano and proceeded to give a virtuoso performance of the demanding title role.