Handel: Coronation Anthems

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Everyone loves Handel's choruses, and probably no other composer had such an intuitive feel for the sound of massed voices in a big space. The problem with Handel's oratorios, of course, is all of those nasty arias (which is why Israel in Egypt, which has very few, is so popular today). So if you're a chorus nut who can't stand solo singing, why not try the four Coronation Anthems--like Bach's Magnificat, they contain just about everything he could do with a chorus, but all packed into a small space. These performances are as good as any, and a top recommendation. The perfect disc for Handelians with short attention spans. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Miserere
Stabat Mater
Spem In alium
Sancte Deus
Ave verum corpus
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Et in terra pax
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Laudamus te
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Gratias agimus tibi
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Propter magnam gloriam
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Domine Deus
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Domine Fili unigenite
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Qui tollis peccata mundi
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Qui sedes
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Quoniam tu solus Sanctus
Gloria in D Major, RV 589: Cum Sancto Spiritu

Tracks:

This Is The Record Of John
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorale: Jesu, Priceless Treasure
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorus: So There Is Now No Condemnation
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorale: In Thine Arm I Rest Me
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Trio: Thus Then, The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Abiding
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorus: Death, I Do Not Fear Thee
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorus: Ye Are Not Of The Flesh
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorale: Hence With Earthly Treasure
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Trio: If Therefore Christ Abide In You
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorale: Fare Thee Weel That Errest
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorus: If By His Spirit
Motet: Jesu, Priceless Treasure, BWV 227: Chorale: Hence All Fears And Sadness
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Zadok The Priest
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: My Heart Is Inditing
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Kings' Daughters
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Upon They Right Hand
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Let Justice And Judgement
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Alleluia
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: The King Shall Rejoice
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Exceeding Glad Shall He Be
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Glory And Great Worship... Thou Hast Prevented Him
The Anthems For The Coronation Of King George II And Queen Caroline, HWV 258-261: Alleluia

Average customer rating:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation
Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices
**An Exquisite Album**
Samples
Great Sampler!

Simply the Best Classical Anthems

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thunderous Classics
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ASIN: B00004SUVI
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies Irae
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
The Planets: Mars
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Fanfare For The Common Man
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Aida: Grand March
Summer - Four Seasons: Presto
Te Deum: Prelude
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Symphony No. 5: First Movement
Spartacus: Adagio
Sabre Dance
Symphony No. 40: First Movement
Zadok The Priest
Turandot: Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathoustra
Romeo And Juliet: Dance Of The Knights
Requiem: Dies Irae
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto
Spring - Four Seasons: Allegro
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
The Royal Fireworks: La Ruissance From Music
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
Carmen: Overture
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Jerusalem
The Planets: Jupiter
Symphony No 9, 'Ode To Joy'
Swan Lake: Scene
Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Variation 18]
Pictures At An Exibitions: Promenade
Symphony For Organ No 3: Finale, Symphony For Organ No 3

Customer Reviews:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation.......2007-06-11

We were concerned after reading some other reviews that this version of Pomp and Circumstance wouldn't be the correct movement or the full length version. This selection has the song for graduation AND the extended length, so it gives plenty of time for processionals. If this is what you need, this is the CD to get.

Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices.......2004-08-13

"Simply the Best Classicial Anthems" is exactly what the title indicates. This is a collection of what the CD says are "36 of the most powerful classics on Earth". My review of this CD comes from someone who is a Classical Music Novice. I'm familiar with some of the composers, musical styles, musical periods, and some of the terminology that is key to understanding Classical Music. By no means am I an expert. I have basically popped in this two CD collection into my player and have enjoyed the sounds it produces. If you are in the same category as I am or maybe just wanting to be introduced to Classical Music - this is going to be a very good CD to have in your collection. For the more seasoned Classical Music fan, this could be either enjoyable or overkill.

The CD contains 36 songs composed by the legends of Classical Music Composers from the past. The bulk of the works come from Composers in the the 19th and 20th century, but there are works from the Romantic and Classical eras of the late 18th and early 19th century (such as Beethoven and Mozart). In general you will find most of the major names of Composers you would expect to find - names such as Tchiakovsky, Handel, Verdi, Strauss, Elgar, and Bach are all there. The only major composer who I would have expected to see on this CD that I don't see is Frederic Chopin. The composers of the late 20th century are not included on this collection - so you won't see Leonard Bernstein or John Williams on this set. While these Composers are excellent, I do think style of the tracks on this collection pre-date their style.

The recordings themselves are done by the great Orchestras around the world. For the most part, European Orchestras were used to deliver the tracks. There are a few exceptions: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivers "The Ride of the Valkyries"; The Toronto Symphony Orchestra delivers "Dance of the Knights"; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delivers Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Some of the European Orchestras that are well known include: BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Choeur Philhamonique de Strasbourg, and more. Also included are performances by well known names in the Classical space such as Marie-Claire Alain (Bach's "Toccate and Fogue in D Minor" and Saint-Saens' "Symphony for Organ No 3"), Piero Toso (Vivaldi's "Allegro From Spring - Four Seasons"), and Placido Domingo appears on Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".

The 2 Disc collection contains a total of over 2 hours and 6 minutes of music. The selections that are included in the set will sound very familiar to you when you play them. You probably have both heard and seen the names of tracks such as: Oref's "O Fortuna"; Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Beethoven's "First Movement from Symphony Number 5" and "Ode To Joy"; Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Many of the other tracks will also sound familiar, but maybe not so much by name - such as Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries", Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathoustra"; Grieg's "Piano Concerto", and "Dies Irae" (versions included by Mozart and Verdi - you can compare the two and judge for yourself). As for the Discs themselves, I think most of the casual fans will like the selections on Disc Two better, but Disc One is still very good. On a sidebar, the Israel Philharmonic's version of "1812 Overture" is by far the best you will hear - particularly at the end, the booming drums create almost a 3 dimensional vision of fireworks being launched into the air.

There one big negative on this collection is some of the recording quality. The clarity of the recording is there, but some of the recording levels leave a lot to be desired. On some of the softer parts, it is barely audible without significantly turning up your volume. This is very evident on "O Fortuna" where you will hear almost dead silence during from the 30 second to 1:30 mark of the track unless you crank your volume up. Same with the first few seconds of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathoustra" and Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture". When the volume is cranked up you will hear them - but then the other sections will be way too loud. I'm surprised with modern technology that this couldn't be addressed better.

The liner notes are pretty thin. You do get the Composers, Performers/Orchestras, and recording dates. There isn't any more details than that and you won't learn anymore insight on the tracks than this information. Despite some of the shortcomings of the liner notes and recording volume, I still think this is an excellent place to start and do recommend this CD if you are a novice to Classical Music and are looking for a great place to start listening to what the Classics have to offer.

**An Exquisite Album**.......2004-02-21

Simply The Best Classical Anthems

Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of `36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth'. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.

THE MYTH
`Classical Music!', I can hear some of you cry. `That isn't another world. That's just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.' Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.

THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don't know.
Why? I don't know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.

THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury's kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.

THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury's bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury's Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.

THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.

GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.

I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.

So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.

Do you accept such an invitation?

Hope you found this review helpful.

Samples.......2003-11-23

The samples are too short and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that the choices are wonderful and the price is great. If you're looking for a overview of the best of classical music then this is for you. However if it's quality you're looking for then spent the extra money and look at other choices.

Great Sampler!.......2002-03-20

This is a good sampler, since it covers what you would want in a classical music CD. Looking at the tracks, it has the classic hits, such as "Ride of the Valkyries," "Toccata and Fugue," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "'Jupiter' from `The Planets,'" "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," and "Hallelujah Chorus."

There are also some new pieces that I have fallen in love with, such as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition." The compilers did an interesting double take by including both Verdi's and Mozart's "Dies Ire." I'm not sure which is better.

This music is good for the brain and good for the soul. There is a power and passion that the blaring and glaring music that makes up most of the FM band. I'm reminded of the religious man who said that there is no music in hell. Probably because they wouldn't appreciate it there.

These CDs has a good transfer from the analogue tapes; there is no hiss or fuzziness. The packaging hearkens back to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with the black monolith. And appropriately, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is the opening track on Disk 2.

Handel - Coronation Anthems / Gritton, Blaze, M. George, Choir of King's College Cambridge, AAM, Cleobury
Average customer rating:

INDITING OF A GOOD MATTER

Stellar

Crowning Achievement

Professionalism

Simply Amazing!

Handel - Coronation Anthems / Gritton, Blaze, M. George, Choir of King's College Cambridge, AAM, Cleobury
George Frideric Handel , Stephen Cleobury , The Academy of Ancient Music , Susan Gritton , and Robin Blaze
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Handel: 4 Coronation Anthems

Haydn: Missa in Angustiis "Nelson Mass" - Te Deum / Lott, Watkinson, M. Davies, Wilson-Johnson; Pinnock

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ASIN: B00005N6UE
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Zadok The Priest: Zadok The Priest
Zadok The Priest: And All The People Rejoic'd
Zadok The Priest: God Save The King
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Let Justice And Judgment
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Alleluia!
The King Shall Rejoice: The King Shall Rejoice
The King Shall Rejoice: Exceeding Glad Shall He Be
The King Shall Rejoice: Glory And Worship
The King Shall Rejoice: Thou Hast Prevented Him
The King Shall Rejoice: Alleluia!
My Heart Is Inditing: My Heart Is Inditing
My Heart Is Inditing: Kings' Daughters
My Heart Is Inditing: Upon Thy Right Hand
My Heart Is Inditing: Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Eternal Source Of Light Divine
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: The Day That Gave Great Anna Birth
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Let All The Winged Race With Joy
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Let Flocks And Herds Their Fear Forget
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: The Day That Gave
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Let Rolling Streams Their Gladness Show
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Kind Health Descends On Downy Wings
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: The Day That Gave Great Anna Birth
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Let Envy Then Coneal Her Head
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: United Nations Shall Combine
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: the Day That Gave

Customer Reviews:

INDITING OF A GOOD MATTER.......2006-07-08

For many years I've been looking for my ideal version of Handel's great Zadok the Priest, and I'm somewhere near it at last. So far as this performance goes, I may actually have got there, all I miss in this account is a little more vividness in the recorded sound. As far as the rest of the disc goes, I have no complaints or reservations at all. The four coronation anthems are given this time in the sequence Zadok, Let thy hand be strengthened, The King shall rejoice and My heart is inditing. Opinions vary as to the appropriate order for them, but obviously if you take a different view of the matter it is very simple to sequence them however you think best. The balance of the disc is taken up with an earlier work, a birthday ode for Queen Anne, probably composed for that monarch's 48th birthday in 1713.

Back to Zadok. Please forgive a possible appearance of dogmatism if I say that the tempo is absolutely right. Cleobury's speed here is much as I remember it from the recording of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It may be faster than one is used to, but there is a very good reason for it. Even at this speed, that spine-tingling orchestral introduction takes a full minute and 20 seconds to reach the great choral chords, and it measures out the tread of the monarch and consort, one stately pace to every four notes, as they advance towards the altar steps in Westminster Abbey, the choral outburst coming as they arrive at them. The choral tone here is very full and grand. I would have been interested to know whether Cleobury has used a larger chorus at this point than later - on one occasion Handel is known to have had 500 performers in Zadok. There are certainly not 500 here, and Handel's choral writing can convey an impression of multitudes even with a smallish choir. From this point on the chorus is appropriately small, clear in its diction and even, to my delight, producing a trill on `ever'. The other three anthems are beautifully done and beautifully recorded. There are various Alleluias in the first three including Zadok, and here, as in the great chorus in Messiah, Handel scans the word sometimes as All-e-LU-ia and sometimes as All-eh-EH-lu-IA. He learned the latter way of doing it from Purcell, and 150 years after Handel's anthems Brahms uses it again in his great Triumphlied celebrating the battle of Sedan.

The words to the birthday ode are by Ambrose Phillips. They are the usual sycophantic rubbish, but `twas ever thus. In days of old such toweringly great poets as Horace and Pindar had turned out equally wince-making sentiments, they just expressed them a lot better. The music is another matter, being simply exquisite. I have been familiar with these three soloists in Handel for a couple of years now, and what a pleasure it is to listen to such perfect singing and perfect sense for the composer's style. The opening number is a heavenly duet for counter-tenor and trumpet. I was very let down at not seeing the trumpeter credited in the liner. It may be Crispian Steel-Perkins (it's good enough to be him) but we are not told. The choir of King's, the Academy of Ancient Music and the director need no introduction by now, and are at their superlative best throughout.

The liner-note, by Anthony Hicks, is helpful, informative and readable, and is given in German and French as well as in English, as are the texts to the music. The recording is really very good too, except that I was eager for just that last ounce of `presence' at the start of Zadok that would have made this disc absolutely perfect for me. The set dates from 2001 I see, so perhaps it will be reissued sometime with a little remastering, fulfilling one of my remaining aspirations in this life.

Stellar.......2006-03-09

As a Handel enthusiast, I can't think of any way this recording could be less than perfect. As another reviewer has noted, this disc features a brilliantly-executed Ode for Queen Anne's Birthday in addition to the four Coronation anthems. The tempo for "Zadoc the Priest" is the fastest I've heard, and that speed heightens the drama of Handel's score. That Cleobury and company can perform it thus without losing any richness of tone or color -- indeed, excelling in those very areas -- testifies to the quality of this recording.

Crowning Achievement.......2005-09-30

If you only have room for one recording of the Coronation Anthems in your collection, this CD will do splendidly. It's pure, lively and 100% fresh Baroque and the chorus really gets into the act. The heavenly harmonies of "My heart is igniting..." and "Upon Thy Right Hand..." are royal pleasure. But as if this wasn't enough, this disc also contains the Ode for Queen Anne, and with it, the most perfect version of Eternal Source of Light Divine I have heard to date. This is one of Handel's most beautiful pieces, but it is not an easy one to nail; it was written for a countertenor, plus you need a great trumpet player- it is a trumpet-voice duet after all. While I enjoyed James Bowman's spirited rendition, I cringed while listening to many versions recorded by high, warbling sopranos- in particular, Kathleen Battle and Edita Gruberova have transposed this one up and out beyond recognition. But here we have Robin Blaze, a countertenor previously unknown to me, giving us an Eternal Source that is truly ethereal, sunlit and sung by a voice that is outstanding by itself and perfectly blended with that trumpet. And, after a beginning like that, the rest of the Ode actually lives up to the high standard.
King shall rejoice and so shall anybody who listens to this CD.

Professionalism.......2005-07-20

This CD of Handel's Coronation Anthems shows the Choir of King's College Cambridge at its true professional height. The music is lively and tuned to perfection. This recording allows both serious and amateur listeners the chance to experience Handel's music as it should be heard.

Simply Amazing!.......2004-03-16

While I am no monarchist, I am entranced by the heavenly beauty of this version of Handel's Coronation themes.

As a music piece the selections from this compilation should be deservidly included with other masterpieces such as Mahler's Resurection, and Bach's Brandenburg Concertos.

Tracks:

Zadok The Priest: HWV 258
The King Shall Rejoice: HWV 260
My Heart Is Inditing: HWV 261
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: HWV 259
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: Pomposo
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: Allegro
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: A Tempo Guisto
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: Largo
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Concerto A Due Cori No. 2: A Tempo Ordinario
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Ouverture
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Allegro
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Adagio
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Andante Larghetto
Concerto a due cori No. 3: Allegro

Amazon.com

Trevor Pinnock's performances of the four Coronation Anthems originally appeared alone on a single disc, but here they have acquired some company in the form of the concertos that Handel arranged from some music for multiple choruses (hence the titles of the works, "for two choruses"). The performances have always been prime recommendations for period instrument versions of this music, and they still are. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-04-15

The coronation service for King George II and his consort Queen Caroline at Westminster Abbey on October 11, 1727, was an occasion of great magnificence as was the music Handel provided for the ceremonies. The composer William Boyce looked back on the 1727 service as the scene of the 'first Grand Musical Performance'.
'Zadok the Priest' was the proper anthem for the Anointing, and 'My Heart is inditing' was specific to the coronation of the Queen.. According to the order of service, 'The King Shall Rejoice' should have been performed at the Recognition, but Handel chose to have it done at the Crowning. Trumpets and timpani were taken from the main body of performers for this part of the ceremony, with the result that 'Let Thy Hand be strengthened' did not include these instruments.
The two 'Concerti a due cori' (concertos for two instrumental choirs) are in fact, for three groups of instruments: a string band, and two wind one each of two oboes, bassoon and two horns.
This disc is very excellently put together by Trevor Pinnock, but I do have some personal critiques to make: I thought that in the first two anthems the percussion (tympani) and brass were much to heavy upon the entrance of the choir; so much so that the balance was tilted in favor of the instruments resulting in not being able to comprehend the words of the anthems. In the 2nd anthem 'The King shall rejoice' the tempo was a bit fast for word sense; one misses much of the inner interest of the anthem. In the final two anthems 'My Heart is inditing' and Let they hand be strengthened' the instruments were fewer and lighter in accompaniment and were much to my liking!
Both of the instrumental concerti were well played; I much preferred the first to the second; it was much more interesting and not so repetitive. All things considered, it's really a good recording. But I still prefer the King's College Choir 1982 recording under the direction of Sir Philip Ledger.

I am Convinced, and Converted.......2004-05-20

This majestic, and awe-inspiring recording is a must have for the royalist, republican(not the American Republican party), and communist alike. If you are not sympathetic or at least respectful of the monarchical systems after hearing this recording you are totally brain dead.

The great unfortunate aspect is that O.C (Oliver Cromwell), C.M (Carl Marx) never heard Handel on C.D. let alone a version of the corination music as beautiful as this. Had O.C heard this version Charles I might not have lost his head.

FAMILIAR AND LESS FAMILIAR.......2004-03-24

When it comes to being hard to please in a performance of Handel's Zadok I couldn't easily rebut a charge of being the fusspot to end all fusspots. First, the tempo at the start must not be too slow, and that knocks out Leppard so far as I am concerned. It should measure out the steps of the monarch pacing up the aisle of Westminster Abbey. Secondly for me, the rising 4-note phrases should break perceptibly into two pairs each. This does wonders for the tension and sense of climax. Thirdly there should be a big crescendo in the last bars before the chorus enters, and I am filled with limitless dismay when Pritchard, in a mainly unexceptionable set of the four coronation anthems, actually perpetrates a diminuendo. Preston scores triumphantly on all counts, so am I satisfied now? Not quite. I want a more spacious acoustic. Short as it is, and properly given by small forces, Zadok the Priest is huge in its impact. This is a performance by the choir of Westminster Abbey and it could have done with being recorded there in the presence of a congregation.

That said, the remastered sound from these performances from 1982 and 1985 is completely admirable. Just on its own it would put paid to any competition from the Pritchard set with the Huddersfield Choral Society, respectable though that is. In any case the actual execution from the Westminster group is distinctly better, particularly as regards the choral work in which the `Oodersfield choir are no match at all for their Westminster rivals. The four anthems are given in the order Zadok, The King Shall Rejoice, My Heart Is Inditing and finally Let Thy Hand, and Donald Burrows discusses the issue of their proper order briefly in his part of the liner note. For me it is no real issue at all, and obviously the virtue of cd technology is that they can be sequenced as any listener prefers. In every single respect but the acoustic right at the beginning I award full marks plus to this account of the anthems.

The `concertos for two choirs' deserve to be a lot better known especially now that there are horn-players in abundance who are equal to the startling technical difficulty of their parts. What the term denotes is that there are two small wind bands, used antiphonally for the most part, in addition to the main string band. In total there are three concertos of this type, and nos 2 and 3, the two with the horn parts, are provided here. The note on these works is contributed by Stanley Sadie, and based on the evidence that Dr Sadie provides, it certainly seems likely that these concertos were intended, like the organ concertos and the opus 6 concerti grossi, for performance in the intervals of the composer's oratorios. # 3 seems fairly clearly to have been given with Judas Maccabaeus, and my goodness if the horn-players were up to it what an impact it must have made! As regards # 2, the two candidates appear to be Joshua and Alexander Balus, nobody seems to be very clear which. One way or another I am certainly pleased that scholarly opinion now inclines towards the view that the works were publicly performed in Handel's lifetime, indeed in his personal presence. # 3 may be mainly an original composition - Sadie is not aware of most of their musical material elsewhere. # 2 is, as he rightly says, a bit of a puzzle. The material is all reworked stuff, but what exactly was Handel's game? It includes a slightly tweaked instrumental transcription of Lift Up Your Heads, which most of the audience would have recognised instantly, but the first two movements apparently come from Esther, 30 years previously. Neither as a pot-pourri of well-known numbers nor as an attempt to pass off old lamps as new does it make any consistent sense. From a historical point of view the issue is absorbing, from a musical point of view two and a half centuries on it doesn't amount to a row of haricots. These concertos have the potential to be as popular as the Brandenburgs and I for one would happily trade a hundred performances of the familiar Vivaldi efforts for just one of these. The performances, directed by Pinnock, are simply superb, the horn-playing in particular being thrilling, with that particular frisson that comes from appreciating the whiff of danger that goes with it. Any Handelian ought to have this set. For the as yet unconverted there is something waiting that they could do with getting to know. I have another fine set of all three concertos by Leppard and the ECO, but this wins outright at all points.

Fine Disk - Fabulous Music.......2002-07-06

While coronations are not something we do much of in the US, I think many of us are still sympathetic to what royalty and majesty are (or used to be). These anthems give us a better understanding of another time and place.

Also, Handel's music is always worth hearing and these pieces are certainly worth knowing. They are treasures of English culture and those of us who value that tradition should know these pieces.

The artists who perform on this disk are all first rate and perform these pieces with great skill and beauty.

Music to please a thousand Kings........2001-03-31

All I have to say is WOW! I cannot believe how beautiful these anthems are! They are so beautiful, and take me back to the actuall coronation ceremony of King George II! The music is always beautiful. The Concerti a due cori is also performed very well by the English concert with Trevor Pinnock. Of the four coronation anthems, "My heart is inditing" and "Zadok the Priest", the queens anthems, are my favorite. These two are absolutely beautiful. "My heart is inditing" starts off in such a beautiful manner, soloists with the chorus, and underneath it, is a beautiul motif with the accomp. It is beautiful, and "Zadok the Preist" with its great 1:00 intro. is flawless. About the performers, the orchestra, is very good in handling the beautiful phrases that Handel had set out for them. The Chorus is also good, although I think that the use of Treble's is not a really welcomed idea. The soloists are also good. The Concerti a due cori are performed very well, although the "Judas Maccebeus" concerto is performed a little under tempi. Buy this recording, if you want great music, great performers, and want to be a king/queen for 40 minutes!

Average customer rating:

Thoroughly enjoyable

Handel: Coronation Anthems

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000040X6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Coronation Anthems: Zadok The Priest
Coronation Anthems: The King Shall Rejoice: The King Shall Rejoice
Coronation Anthems: The King Shall Rejoice: Exceeding glad shall he be
Coronation Anthems: The King Shall Rejoice: Glory And Worship Hast Thou Laid
Coronation Anthems: The King Shall Rejoice: Alleluja!
Coronation Anthems: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
Coronation Anthems: Let Thy hand be strengthened: Let justice and judgement
Coronation Anthems: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Alleluja
Coronation Anthems: My Heart is Inditing: My Heart Is Inditing
My Heart is Inditing: My Heart is Inditing: King's Daughters Were Among Thy Honorable Women
My Heart is Inditing: My Heart is Inditing: Upon thy right hand
My Heart is Inditing: My Heart is Inditing: Kings shall by thy nursing fathers
Judas Maccabaeus: See, the Conqu' ring Hero Comes!
Judas Maccabaeus: March
Judas Maccabaeus: Sing Unto God

Amazon.com

Everyone loves Handel's choruses, and probably no other composer had such an intuitive feel for the sound of massed voices in a big space. The problem with Handel's oratorios, of course, is all of those nasty arias (which is why Israel in Egypt, which has very few, is so popular today). So if you're a chorus nut who can't stand solo singing, why not try the four Coronation Anthems--like Bach's Magnificat, they contain just about everything he could do with a chorus, but all packed into a small space. These performances are as good as any, and a top recommendation. The perfect disc for Handelians with short attention spans. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Thoroughly enjoyable.......2001-06-21

OK, so Nev and the boys and girls of the ASMF don't use period instruments, but this version leaves the period instrument versions I've heard for dead. The ASMF plays with all the exuberance and bounce for which it is famous, and this approach and the richer sound of modern instruments suits Handel's wonderful spectacular anthems to perfection.

Handel: Israel in Egypt, Coronation Anthems

Average customer rating:

Handel: Israel in Egypt, Coronation Anthems
Robertson , Collin , Salmon , Gardiner , and English Baroque Soloists
Manufacturer: Philips/Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Handel: Dixit Dominus; Coronation Anthem No. 1

ASIN: B00007JGOS
Release Date: 2003-02-10

Tracks:

(1) Overture
(2-12) Parti: Exodus Lexodus Der Auszug
(1-14) Part Ii: Moses Song Le Cantique De Moise Moses Gesang
(15) Zadok The Priest, Hwv 258
(16) King Shall Rejoice, Hwv 260

Handel: Coronation Anthems; Dixit Dominus

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan

Handel: Coronation Anthems; Dixit Dominus

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Handel - Carmelite Vespers 1707 / Feldman · Kirkby · Van Evera · M. Cable · M. Nichols · Cornwell · Thomas · Parrott
Durufle: Requiem, Mass-Con Jubilo, Motets / Plasson, von Otter
Handel - Coronation Anthems / Gritton, Blaze, M. George, Choir of King's College Cambridge, AAM, Cleobury
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1-3; Rondo, K. 373
Baroque Masterpieces

ASIN: B0000DIGJF
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

The King Shall Rejoice - Sir Philip Ledger
Exceeding Glad Shall He Be - Sir Philip Ledger
Glory And Great Worship - Sir Philip Ledger
Thou Hast Prevented Him - Sir Philip Ledger
Alleluja! - Sir Philip Ledger
Zadok The Priest - Sir Philip Ledger
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened - Sir Philip Ledger
Let Justice And Judgement - Sir Philip Ledger
Alleluja! - Sir Philip Ledger
My Heart Is Inditing - Sir Philip Ledger
King's Daughter - Sir Philip Ledger
Upon Thy Right Hand - Sir Philip Ledger
Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers - Sir Philip Ledger
Chorus With Solos: Dixit Dominus - Sir David Willcocks
Aria: Virgam Virtutis Tuae - Sir David Willcocks
Aria: Tecum Principium In Die Virtutis - Sir David Willcocks
Chorus: Juravit Dominus - Sir David Willcocks
Chorus: Secundum Ordinem Melchisedech - Sir David Willcocks
Solos With Chorus: Dominus A Dextris Tuis - Sir David Willcocks
Solos With Chorus: De Terrente In Via bibit - Sir David Willcocks
Chorus: Gloria Patri Et Filio Spiritu Sanctu - Sir David Willcocks

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-01-08

If you are fond of the English tradition of choral singing which means the use of boy sopranos and countertenors as opposed to female sopranos and altos, this album is for you. I personally like the clear ringing quality of the boy soprano as well as the velvety tone of the male alto so this recording is one of my favorites. It is also quite unique in that it incorporates 2 separate recording sessions: first half of the album was recorded in l982 and the second half in l965. Both choirs are outstanding and project an air of ceremonial magnificence. The high point for me was the Anthem:"My Heart is Inditing" featuring Paul Smy ,boy soprano and Michael Chance, alto. I must add that the line-up includes some of Handel's most attractive anthems, one of which is the always popular :"Zadok, the Priest".

Handel: Coronation Anthems / Chandos Anthem No. 9

Average customer rating:

Handel: Coronation Anthems / Chandos Anthem No. 9
Handel , Sir David Willcocks , King's College Choir , English Chamber Orchestra , Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields , Elizabeth Vaughan , Alexander Young , Forbes Robinson , and Cambridge Choir of King's College
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00000E3OP
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Handel: Coronation Anthems, Concerti a Due Cori, Organ Concerto, Two Overtures

Average customer rating:

Handel: Coronation Anthems, Concerti a Due Cori, Organ Concerto, Two Overtures
Handel
Manufacturer: EMI Special Products
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
With a little help from a friend

Handel: 4 Coronation Anthems

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Handel - Coronation Anthems / Gritton, Blaze, M. George, Choir of King's College Cambridge, AAM, Cleobury
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass / Willcocks, King's College Choir

ASIN: B0000041MG
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Zadok The Priest
My heart Is Inditing
My Heart is Inditing: Kings' Daughters
My Heart is Inditing: Upon Thy Right Hand
My Heart is Inditing: Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Let Justice And Judgement
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened: Alleluia
The King Shall Rejoice
The King Shall Rejoice: Exceeding Glad Shall He Be
The King Shall Rejoice: Glory And Great Worship
The King Shall Rejoice: Alleluia
Dixit Dominus
Dixit Dominus: Virgam Virtutis
Dixit Dominus: Tecum Principium
Dixit Dominus: Juravit Dominus
Dixit Dominus: Tu Es Sacerdos
Dixit Dominus: Dominus A Dextris Tuis & Judicabit In Nationibus
Dixit Dominus: De Torrente In Via Bibet
Dixit Dominus: Gloria Patri

Tracks:

Foundling Hospital Anthem: Blessed Are They That Considereth The Poor
Foundling Hospital Anthem: Blessed Are They... They Deliver The Poor
Foundling Hospital Anthem: O God Who From The Suckling's Mouth
Foundling Hospital Anthem: The Charitable
Foundling Hospital Anthem: Comfort Them, O Lord
Foundling Hospital Anthem: The People Will Tell Of Their Wisdom
Foundling Hospital Anthem: Hallelujah
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: We Praise Thee, O God
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: To Thee All Angels Cry Aloud
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: The Glorious Company Of The Apostles
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: When Thou Tookest Upon Thee
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: We Believe That Thou Shalt Come
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: Day By Day We Magnify Thee
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: Vouchsafe, O Lord
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: O Lord, In Thee Have I Trusted
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: O Be Joyful In The Lord
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: Serve The Lord With Gladness
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: Be Ye Sure That The Lord He Is God
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: O Go Your Way Into His Gates
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: For The Lord Is Gracious
Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate: Glory Be To The Father

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-06-18

These 2 discs offer the music of 3 different choirs and 4 different times periods. CD 1 features the Choir of King's College, Cambridge,performing 4 Coronation Anthems: Zadok the priest; My heart is inditing; Let my hand be strengthened and The King shall rejoice. Recording Date:August,1963. The second time period also featuring a King's College choir singing "Dixit Dominus" is Dec. 1986 and this offering is my favorite because the choir sings more skillfully than the 1963 choir and also because it features Michael Chance in the alto solos when he was in the early stages of his career (a real collector's item). CD 2 begins with Handel's "Foundling Hospital Anthem" sung by the Winchester Cathedral Choir in Feb. l993. They performed it well except the boy sopranos had a rather harsh sound on the high notes as if they were oversinging. The final selections :Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate Te Deum were excellently sung by the Choir of Christ Church, Oxford recorded in July , 1979. I liked this choir a lot. They had "sparkle"; displayed a great deal of vocal energy and the boys' voices were glorious! Emma Kirkby was a soloist in the "Jubilate" and her voice is always clear and clean and bright. All in all this 2CD package has a lot to offer!!!

With a little help from a friend.......2006-02-25

I bought this CD as a help to sing the 1st sporano part for the Foundling Hospital Anthem. It is a crisp recording and helped me learn my part for performance. I have no regrets and would buy this CD again. The other pieces on the CD are also of high quality.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

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