|
"Dixit Dominus"
We know George Frideric Handel mostly
for the operas biblical oratorios, and instrumental works he
wrote for London high society. Yet he was producing masterpieces
such as these Latin sacred works composed in Rome when he was
barely into his 20s. The big chorus-and-orchestra Dixit Dominus
and the soprano showpieces Sæviat tellus, Laudate pueri,
and Salve Regina have been recorded several times in recent years
(including, most notably, Andrew Parrott's thrilling full-scale
reconstruction of the lavish Vespers service for which Handel's
probably wrote these works), yet this lively performance by Marc
Minkowski and les Musiciens du Louvre is as good as any of them.
Since Hande l wrote this music for virtuoso castratos, it's no
surprise that the stars here are the (female) sopranos Annick
Massis and Magdalena Kozená. --Matthew Westphal |
