Handel goes Wild

Featuring

Christina Pluhar
Nuria Rial
Valer Barna-Sabadus
L'Arpeggiata

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Compositional Technique

The aria "Lascia ch'io pianga" is a prime example of Handel's recycling, appearing first as a sarabande in his 1705 opera "Almira," then in a 1707 oratorio, and again in his 1711 opera "Rinaldo."

Compositional Technique

Handel's creativity often started with pre-existing material, whether a text, a dramatic situation, or a piece of music by himself or others, which he would transform and incorporate into his works.

Critical Reception

For a long time, Handel the opera composer was forgotten, overshadowed by the popularity of his oratorios like "Messiah."

Composer Biography

Handel was known for reusing his own music and that of his colleagues, a practice politely termed 'borrowings' by English scholars.

Composer's Artistic Vision

George Frideric Handel, the composer of most of the music on this album, was a man of the theatre who understood the seriousness of play-acting and the truth behind illusion.

Compositional Technique

Handel was a renowned improviser, often sitting at the harpsichord to find ideas and extemporizing solo parts in his organ concertos.

Critical Reception

In the second half of the 19th century, Handel's oratorios were performed by choirs of thousands before tens of thousands of people, leading to his posthumous promotion as a state composer of Victorian England.