VA - Handel: The Essentials (2017)

Most music lovers have encountered George Frederick Handel through holiday-time renditions of the Messiah's "Hallelujah" chorus. And many of them know and love that oratorio on Christ's life, death, and resurrection, as well as a few other greatest hits like the orchestral Water Music and Royal Fireworks Music, and perhaps Judas Maccabeus or one of the other English oratorios. Yet his operas, for which he was widely known in his own time, are the province mainly of specialists in Baroque music, and the events of his life, even though they reflected some of the most important musical issues of the day, have never become as familiar as the careers of Bach or Mozart. Perhaps the single word that best describes his life and music is "cosmopolitan": he was a German composer, trained in Italy, who spent most of his life in England.

TRACKLIST

01. Handel: Water Music Suite, HWV 349-Alla Hornpipe
02. Handel: Music For The Royal Fireworks, HWV 351-La Paix
03. Handel: Music For The Royal Fireworks, HWV 351-La Réjouissance
04. Handel: Organ Concerto No.6 In B Flat, Op.4 No.6, HWV 294-Version For Harp-1. Andante Allegro
05. Handel: Organ Concerto No.6 In B Flat, Op.4 No.6, HWV 294-Version For Harp-2. Larghetto
06. Handel: Organ Concerto No.6 In B Flat, Op.4 No.6, HWV 294-Version For Harp-3. Allegro moderato
07. Handel: Serse / Act 1 HWV 40-"Ombra mai fu"
08. Handel: Solomon HWV 67 / Act 3-The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
09. Handel: Joshua, HWV 64-Original Version-O Had I Jubal's Lyre
10. Handel: Water Music Suite No.1 In F, HWV 348-5. Air
11. Handel: Saul, HWV 53 / Act 3-77. March
12. Handel: Judas Maccabaeus HWV 63 / Part 3-58. "See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes!..See, The Godlike Youth Advance!…See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes!"
13. Handel: Judas Maccabaeus HWV 63 / Part 3-59. March
14. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 1-Symphony
15. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 1-12. For Unto Us A Child Is Born
16. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 2-42. Hallelujah
17. Handel: Concerto "Amabile beltà" (Arr. For Flute, English Horn And Orchestra)-3. Largo ("Softly Sweet in Lydian Measures" From Oratorio 'Alexander's Feast', HWV 75)
18. Handel: Apollo e Dafne, HWV 122-Felicissima quest'alma (Excerpt)
19. Handel: Ariodante HWV 33 / Act 3-"Bramo aver mille vite…" (Live)
20. Handel: "Will The Sun Forget To Streak" From Oratorio 'Solomon', HWV 67 (Arr. For Oboe, Violin, Harpsichord And Orchestra)
21. Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto HWV 17 / Atto terzo-No.39 Duetto "Caro, più amabile beltà" (Live)
22. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 3-43. Air: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
23. Handel: Music For The Royal Fireworks: Suite HWV 351-5. Menuet I
24. Handel: Donna, che in ciel di tanta luce splendi, HWV 233-Aria con coro: "Maria, salute e speme"
25. Handel: Zadok The Priest (Coronation Anthem No.1, HWV 258)