Handel: Susanna [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The story of the innocent Susanna--whose nude bathing in a stream so excited two elders in her community that they charged her with all sorts of dirty things--is from the Apocrypha. Near the story's close, the young Israelite Daniel, clearly a budding lawyer, disproves the elders' claims by having each explain certain details without the other in the room. (In the Carlisle Floyd version, there's a twist, and the ending is horrifyingly different.) The story, as Handel and his unknown librettist tell it, takes more than two and a half hours. What we get in place of nail-biting drama is a marvelous portrait of the chaste Susanna, her trusting husband, Joacim, and the lascivious elders. There's also a great concentration on the plot's rural setting. Arias are filled with nature--Handel offers us a lovely pastoral setting, with a could-be-tragic story at its core; but neither Nature nor Susanna's good nature wind up sullied. This is a beautiful performance of the work, led by Peter Neumann with tenderness and, when required, with great verve. Neumann makes only a few cuts, equaling about 10 minutes and approved by Handel for the work's 1759 revival. Nicholas McGegan's account on Harmonia Mundi is note-complete and just as handsomely played. His Susanna, Lorraine Hunt, wins over this set's Elisabeth von Magnus, but only by a hair; our present Joacim, Syste Buwalda, however, is better than McGegan's Drew Minter. And Neumann's two elders are even nastier than McGegan's. It's a really close call--either performance of this attractive work is to be recommended. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

(Clori: Part I): Va col canto
(Clori: Part II): Barbaro!
(Clori: Part II): Amo Tirsi
(Theodora: Act I, 5): Angels, Ever Bright And Fair
(Theodora: Act II, 2): With Darkness, Deep
(Theodora: Act II, 2): Oh! That I On Wings Could Rise
(Ottone: Act II, 4): Vieni, o figlio
(Arianna: Act I, 2): Mirami altero in volto
(Susanna: Part I, 2): Bending To The Throne
(Susanna: Part III, 2): Guilt Trembling Spoke My Doom
(Messiah: Part III, 2): He Was Despised
(Radamisto: Act III, 7): Qual nave
(Agrippina: Act II, 20): Ogni vento

Customer Reviews:

When she sang...people would forget all that is conventional in opera.......2007-01-11

With Lorraine Hunt you can't go wrong. Her appeal is universal: those who don't fancy opera will love it because of her virtuoso capability, originality and sincerity. Laurent Naouri expressed the core of her appeal: "When she sang her character, people would forget all that is conventional in opera. People would forget even her singing; they would just feel something so deep and true." Bravo, Lorraine, you set a standard for all time.

absolutely Beautiful.......2007-01-10

She really left a wonderful gift in this cd. I wish I could have appreciated her voice before she died so as to have seen her in concert. What a voice she had!

A glorious voice to remember.......2006-10-29

If you love the voice of Janet Baker or Kathleen Ferrier, you will love this collection. Miss Hunt is the peer of any mezzo soprano I have ever heard, bar none. Her voice is pure and rich, her musicality is flawless, her total effect awe inspiring. If you have never heard Lorraine before, this is a great place to start. You won't be sorry!

An Ode to Beauty and Artistry (Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, 1954-2006).......2006-07-06

I've been meaning to review this album for the longest time, but haven't because of my committments at work and other things. Lieberson's voice, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful instruments of our generation. It is, unlike a certain Renaaay who tries to sing anything and everything as a huge, incoherent slur, a very beautifully and artistically sung Handel recital. The tone is simply magnificent! And no other Handelian artist has connected her singing of the role with a dramatic sense that is so acute as her performances of the role.

It is really sad to know that this great artist died of breast cancer two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was a big loss for the operatic world to lose such a beautiful instrument at such a young age. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson will be missed.

subtle beauty.......2005-11-14

I have had this CD for several years now, and also all of the CDs from which these arias are drawn. What a great album; I would not be without it. Ms. Hunt (now Hunt Lieberson) has the voice, phrasing, discipline...the inner understanding of this music. She's "connected" on almost every piece here. 'Angels Bright and Fair' is a particular standout in my view; but almost certainly, if you are a lover of Handel's music, you will find something special here. Her soprano to mezzo soprano on this CD was a subtle and extraordinary voice for performing these pieces.

Average customer rating:

Valuable compendium
Rareties available on CD at last!
Heavenly
WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
The Art of the Prima Donna
La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland
Serate Musicali
The Voice of the Century

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

Sheer Delight!

Arias, Duets and Trios

Manufacturer: Bella Voce Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Janowitz, Gundula | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Troyanos, Tatiana | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tatiana Troyanos in Recital
Gundula Janowitz Songs: Strauss Liszt & Schubert
Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias
The Very Best of Régine Crespin
Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany]

ASIN: B000007TO8
Release Date: 2000-08-05

Tracks:

Giulio Cesare: Act III, Aria: 'Da Tempeste Il Legno Infranto' - Gundula Janowitz
Giulio Cesare: Act I, Aria: 'Svegliatevi Nel Core' - Tatiana Troyano
Die Zauberflote: Aria: 'O Zittere Nicht' - Arleen Auger
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Act II, Arietta: 'Voi Che Sapete' - Tatiana Troyanos
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Act IV, Recitative And Aria: 'Giunse Alfin Il Momento'/'Deh Vieni, Non Tardar' - Arleen Auger
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Act III, Recitative And Aria: 'E Susanna Non Vien'/'Dove Son' - Gundala Janowitz
Arabella: 'Aber Der Richtige, Wenn's Einen Gibt' - Gundula Janowitz/Arleen Auger
Ariadne Auf Naxos: Final Prologue: 'Sein Wir Wieder Gut' - Tatiana Troyanos
Ariadne Auf Naxos: 'Grossmachtige Prinzessin' - Arleen Auger
Vier Letzte Lieder: 'Fruhling' - Gundula Janowitz
Vier Letzte Lieder: 'Im Abendrot' - Gundula Janowitz

Tracks:

Der Rosenkavalier: Trio: 'Marie Theres'!/'Hab' Mir's Gelobt' - Gundula Janowitz/Tatiana Troyanos/Arleen Auger
Der Rosenkavalier: Duet: 'Ist Ein Traum, Kann Nicht Wirklich Sein' - Arleen Auger/Tatiana Troyanos
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Act III, Aria: 'Ich Baue Ganz Auf Deine Starke' - Nicolai Gedda
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Act I, Aria: 'Ach Ich Liebte, War So Glucklich' - Arleen Auger
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Act III, Recitative And Duet: 'Welch Ein Geschick' - Arleen Auger/Nicolai Gedda
Capriccio: Scene 4, Sonnet: 'Kein Andres, Das Mir So Im Herzen Loht' - Nicolai Gedda
Ariadne Auf Naxos: 'Grossmachtige Prinzessin' - Arleen Auger
Les Pecheurs De Perles: Act III, Scene: 'Oh! Ciel, Quel Trouble!' - Nicolai Gedda
Lakme: Act II: 'Ou Va La Jeune Indoue' - Arleen Auger
Benvenuto Cellini: Tableau 4, Scene 8: 'Seul Pour Lutter, Seul Avec Mon Courage' - Nicolai Gedda

Customer Reviews:

Sheer Delight!.......1999-05-20

Three great artists in their prime, in ravishing live performances. What a treat! Janowtiz's Handel is less than exciting, and why Arleen Auger sings Zerbinetta's aria TWICE is beyond me, but those quibbles aside, these generously filled discs are a sheer delight

Average customer rating:

Grandi Voci: Arleen Auger

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E584
Release Date: 1994-11-15

Average customer rating:

The Artistry of Richard Crooks Vol.I

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Floridante: Alma mia
Comus: Preach not me
Serenade
Parthenope: Se mia gioia
Dedication, Op. 14-1
L'Adieu du matin
A dream, Op. 48-6
Serenade
I Love Thee, Op. 5-3
The Whyte Lillie
Hark, How Still, Op. 10-2
Passing By
Aida: Celeste Aida
Carmen: Flower Song
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
The Lost Chord
Macushla
Bird songs at eventide
Oh, Susanna!
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
The Desert Song: One Alone
The Vagabond King: Only A Rose
Beautiful Dreamer
The Rosary
Love Everlasting
The Student Prince: Serenade
Naughty Marietta: Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life!

Scriabin;Tschaikowsky; Foster-Händel-Schubert

Average customer rating:

Scriabin;Tschaikowsky; Foster-Händel-Schubert

Manufacturer: Magic Master
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Tracks:

Etude In C Sharp Minor: Etude In C Sharp Minor (December 11, 1944)
Marche Slave: Marche Slave (April 23, 1942)
Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture: Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture (December 11, 1944)
Solitude: Solitude (May 11, 942)
Oh, Susannah!: Oh, Susannah! (May 1, 1929)
Messiah: Pastoral Symphony (April 29, 1929)
'Deutsche Tanze Op.33': Tyrolean Dances (December 10, 1944)

Average customer rating:

Handel and the Oratorio for Concerts

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000669KS
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Average customer rating:

VIRTUE NOT QUITE TRIUMPHANT

Handel: Susanna

Manufacturer: MD&G Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Händel: Oreste
Händel: Arianna in Creta, HWV 32
Handel - Athalia
Handel: Rodelinda
Handel - Alexander Balus

ASIN: B00004NHPB
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Overture
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Chorus - How Long, Oh Lord
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative - (Joacim) Our Crimes Repeated
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air (Joacim) - Clouds O'ertake The Brightest Day
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative - (Susanna) Oh Joacim! When Thou Art By
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Duet - (Susanna, Joacim) When Thou Art Nigh
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative (Chelsias) - Lives There In Babylon
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air (Chelsias) - Who Fears The Lord
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative (Joacim) - A Flame Like Mine
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air (Susanna) - Would Custom Bid The Melting Fair
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative (Joacim, Susanna) - Source Of Each Joy
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air (Joacim) - The Parent Bird In Search Of Food
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative (Susanna) - On Joacim May Ev'ry Joy Attend
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Accompagnato - (Susanna) What Means This Weight
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air - (Susanna) Bending To The Throne Of Glory
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Accompagnato (1st Elder) - Tyrannic Love!
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air - (1st Elder) Ye Verdant Hills, Ye Balmy Vales
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative - (2nd Elder, 1st Elder) Say, Is It Fit
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air - (2nd Elder) The Oak That For A Thousand Years
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Recitative - (1st Elder, 2nd Elder) Ye Winged Gales, Convey
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Air - (1st Elder) When The Trumpet Sounds To Arms
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act I - Chorus - Righteous Heav'n

Tracks:

Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Joacim) - Frost Nips The Flow'rs
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Joacim) - On Fair Euphrates' Verdant Side
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna )- Lead Me, Oh Lead Me
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Susanna) - Chrystal Streams In Murmurs Flowing
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna, Attendant) - Too Lovely Youth
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Attendant) - Ask If Yon Damask Rose Be Sweet
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna, Attendant) - In Vain You Try
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Attendant) - Beneath The Cypress' Gloomy Shade
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna, Attendant) - Thy Plaintive Strains
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (1st Elder) - Blooming As The Face Of Spring
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (2nd Elder, Susanna) - We Long Have Languish'd
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (2nd Elder) - The Torrent That Sweeps
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna, 2nd Elder) - Deceitful Wolves!
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Trio (Susanna, 1st Elder, 2nd Elder) Away, Away!
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Recitative (Susanna, 1st Elder, 2nd Elder) - Alas! I Find The Fatal Toils Are Set
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Susanna) - If Guiltless Blood Be Your Intent
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Chorus - Let Justice Reign And Flourish
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Reitative (Joacim) - Is Fair Susanna False?
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Air (Joacim) - On The Rapid Whirlwhind's Wing
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act II - Chorus - Oh Joacim, Thy Wedded Truth

Tracks:

Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Chorus - The Cause Is Decided
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Susanna) - I Hear My Doom
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Susanna) - Faith Displays Her Rosy Wing
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (1st Elder) - Permit Me, Fair
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (1st Elder) - Round Thy Urn My Tears Shall Flow
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Susanna) - 'Tis Thus The Crocodile
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Accompagnato (Susanna) - But You, Who See Me On The Verge Of Life
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative - The Sentence Now Is Past (2nd & 1st Elder, Daniel)
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Daniel) - 'Tis Not Age's Sullen Face
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (A Judge, Daniel) - Oh Wond'rous Youth
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Chorus - Impartial Heav'n
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Daniel, 1st & 2nd Elder) - Thou Artful Wretch!
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Daniel) - Chastity, Thou Cherub Bright
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Susanna) - But See! My Lord
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Joacim)- Gold Within The Furnace Try'd
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Chelsias) - The Joyful News Of Chaste Susanna's Truth
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Chelsias, Susanna) - Raise Your Voice To Sounds Of Joy
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Chorus - Bless'd Be The Day
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Susanna) - Hence Ev'ry Pang
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Air (Susanna) - Guilt Trembling Spoke My Doom
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Recitative (Joacim) - Sweet Are The Accents
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Duet (Susanna, Joacim) - To My Chaste Susanna's Price
Susanna Oratorio In 3 Parts HWV 66: Act III - Chorus - A Virtuos Wife

Amazon.com

The story of the innocent Susanna--whose nude bathing in a stream so excited two elders in her community that they charged her with all sorts of dirty things--is from the Apocrypha. Near the story's close, the young Israelite Daniel, clearly a budding lawyer, disproves the elders' claims by having each explain certain details without the other in the room. (In the Carlisle Floyd version, there's a twist, and the ending is horrifyingly different.) The story, as Handel and his unknown librettist tell it, takes more than two and a half hours. What we get in place of nail-biting drama is a marvelous portrait of the chaste Susanna, her trusting husband, Joacim, and the lascivious elders. There's also a great concentration on the plot's rural setting. Arias are filled with nature--Handel offers us a lovely pastoral setting, with a could-be-tragic story at its core; but neither Nature nor Susanna's good nature wind up sullied. This is a beautiful performance of the work, led by Peter Neumann with tenderness and, when required, with great verve. Neumann makes only a few cuts, equaling about 10 minutes and approved by Handel for the work's 1759 revival. Nicholas McGegan's account on Harmonia Mundi is note-complete and just as handsomely played. His Susanna, Lorraine Hunt, wins over this set's Elisabeth von Magnus, but only by a hair; our present Joacim, Syste Buwalda, however, is better than McGegan's Drew Minter. And Neumann's two elders are even nastier than McGegan's. It's a really close call--either performance of this attractive work is to be recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

VIRTUE NOT QUITE TRIUMPHANT.......2007-02-18

The liner with this set proclaims `It goes without saying that our audiophile label refrains from any sort of sound-modifying manipulation with reverberation, sound-filters, or limiters', although, as you can see, they say it anyway. Sadly, I myself have to say that it is precisely this organic and additive-free sound that prevents me from being more enthusiastic about the production. Right from the overture I found the 1999 sound-quality to be rather dull and `dead'. For a moment, during the opening chorus, I began to hope that this might not be too much of a problem, but when the countertenor Sytse Buwalda set off on the first solo number I started to appreciate how matters were going to develop. The first chorus has an almost Bachian darkness about it, and the recorded sound was by no means inappropriate. The trouble is mainly in the way it treats the soloists. In brief, it reduces the impact of what I like about them and amplifies the effects that I don't like. More's the pity, because there is a great deal about this performance of this little-recorded work that is really very good indeed.

To start with the best things about this set, the choral and instrumental work is probably first-class. I say `probably' because even this is slightly dulled by the recording, but not enough to disguise the clear and distinct English of the chorus and the brilliant precision of their rapid passage-work in the closing number of act I, nor some very nifty and agile orchestral playing. In general the sense of style is apt and proportionate, and the soloists, whatever my reservations, are not only technically accomplished but rise very expressively to the beauty of the arias. Just now and again I would have liked a bit more liveliness to the tempo in the solo numbers, and of course the recording may have set me thinking this way, but the real problem I have is with the soloists' tone and enunciation. The first soloist we hear is Buwalda, and he gives me the most difficulty by far. His English elocution comes over as if he had a Kartoffel in his mouth, and everything I would not have liked about his voice anyway is made more unattractive by the engineering. He is the sort of countertenor who sounds as if his underpants are too tight, and I was visited by reminiscences of Chaucer's Pardoner. Elisabeth von Magnus as Susanna gets her tongue round English rather better, but I suspect better than she is allowed to sound. Tom Sol's English is more or less perfect, my only difficulty specific to him being his intrusive h's in coloratura music - `flay-hay-hay-hay-hay-hay-m' for `flame' and such like. John Elwes as the First Elder does very well (subject to my general strictures about the sound), but Ruth Holton does not seem to be very well served at all. In the touching little cameo role as the widowed servant all is well enough with her and her sweet little song `Ask if yon damask rose', but either her voice is not right for the prophet Daniel, or the recording lets her down, or both. Surely Daniel's denunciations of the lying Elders need a ringing declamatory tone, rather than the distant impression of a female vicar leading the responses at Evensong that we have here.

Everything that is important in the oratorio Susanna is by Handel, but it is not all by Handel nevertheless. The author of the libretto is unknown, but its diction is flat-footed and sometimes ridiculous, and of course the central action relates to the attempted assault on Susanna, and their subsequent allegations of adultery on her part to save their own skins at the expense of hers, by the lecherous and treacherous Elders. Strauss would have had one way of setting such a topic to music, but not only were conventions different in Handel's time, Handel did not have a first-class librettist of the calibre of Hoffmansthal or anywhere near it. It's hard to know how the librettist meant the utterances of the Elders to be understood. It may be that he intended them to be grotesque and ridiculous, but for me the author of `Say, will the vulture leave his prey/And warble thro' the grove', or of `Beneath the cypress' gloomy shade...I saw the lovely shepherd laid' is capable of taking more or less anything seriously. The performers have a delicate task in interpreting Handel's setting of such an episode, and all credit to them - I believe they get it about right. I differ slightly from the author of the excellent liner note in that I find no `humour' in Handel's approach - he surely had far too much taste to find anything funny in it. However to find the Elders ridiculous is not the same thing, and I believe the singers and the conductor alike get just the right tone of absurdity, along with the fear, defiance and revulsion, that goes into the startlingly tense and dramatic trio that Susanna sings with her assailants. Above all they remember, as Handel did, that whatever the dramatic considerations the first and foremost thing is to remain musical.

The liner note is exemplary. The German essay is thoughtful and helpful, and its English translation is genuine English and not translationese. The libretto is given in full, again with German equivalent, and there are notes on all the performers as well as the mission-statement of the recording strategy. I hardly need reiterate that this is not my idea of a perfect Susanna, but it has a lot going for it nevertheless. As matters stand currently, it looks as if the choice is between this Susanna and no Susanna, so it has been an easy choice for me.

Handel - Susanna / Hunt, Minter, Feldman, W. Parker, J. Thomas, D. Thomas, PBO, McGegan

Average customer rating:

Intensely Pleasurable Listening - Gramophone Award

Handel - Susanna / Hunt, Minter, Feldman, W. Parker, J. Thomas, D. Thomas, PBO, McGegan
William Parker , David Thomas , Jeffrey Thomas , Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra , and Nicholas McGegan
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto

ASIN: B0000007CP
Release Date: 1992-10-26

Tracks:

Part 1, Scene 1: Overture
Part 1, Scene 1: How long, oh Lord, shall Israel groan?
Part 1, Scene 1: Clouds o'ertake the brightest day (Joacim)
Part 1, Scene 1: When thou art nigh (Joacim, Susanna)
Part 1, Scene 1: Who fears the Lord may dare all foes (Chelsias)
Part 1, Scene 1: When first I saw my lovely maid (Joacim)
Part 1, Scene 1: Would custom bid (Susanna)
Part 1, Scene 1: Peace crown'd with roses (Chelsias)
Part 1, Scene 1: Without the swain's assiduous care (Susanna)
Part 1, Scene 1: The parent bird in search of food (Joacim)
Part 1, Scene 2: On Joacim may every joy attend (Susanna)
Part 1, Scene 2: Bending to the throne of glory (Susanna)
Part 1, Scene 3: Tyrannic love (First Elder)
Part 1, Scene 3: Ye verdant hills, ye balmy vales (First Elder)
Part 1, Scene 4: Say, is it fit that age? (First Elder, Second Elder)
Part 1, Scene 4: The oak that for a thousand years (Second Elder)
Part 1, Scene 4: When the trumpet sounds to arms (First Elder)
Part 1, Scene 4: Righteous heav'n beholds their guile

Tracks:

Part II, Scene 1: Frost nips the flowers (Joacim)
Part II, Scene 1: On fair Euphrates' verdant side (Joacim)
Part II, Scene 2: Lead me to some cool retreat (Susanna)
Part II, Scene 2: Crystal streams in murmurs flowing (Susanna)
Part II, Scene 2: Ask if yon damask rose (Attendant)
Part II, Scene 2: Beneath the cypress' gloomy shade (Attendant)
Part II, Scene 3: But hark, what sudden noise? (Susanna)
Part II, Scene 3: Blooming as the face of spring (First Elder)
Part II, Scene 3: The torrent that sweeps in its course (Second Elder)
Part II, Scene 3: Away, ye tempt me both in vain (Susanna, First, Second Elder)
Part II, Scene 4: I caught the fair delinquent (Second Elder)
Part II, Scene 4: If guiltless blood be your intent (Susanna)
Part II, Scene 4: Let justice reign
Part II, Scene 5: Is fair Susanna false? (Joacim)
Part II, Scene 5: On the rapid whirlwind's wing (Joacim)
Part II, Scene 5: Oh Joacim, thy wedded truth!

Tracks:

Part III, Scene 1: The cause is decided
Part III, Scene 1: Faith displays her rosy wing (Susanna)
Part III, Scene 1: Round thy urn my tears shall flow (First Elder)
Part III, Scene 1: 'Tis not age's sullen face (Daniel)
Part III, Scene 1: Impartial heav'n!
Part III, Scene 1: Chastity, thou cherub bright (Daniel)
Part III, Scene 2: Gold within the furnace try'd (Joacim)
Part III, Scene 2: Raise your voice to sounds of joy (Chelsias)
Part III, Scene 2 : Bless'd be the day that gave susanna birth!
Part III, Scene 2: Guilt trembling spoke my doom (Susanna)
Part III, Scene 2: To my chaste Susanna's praise (Joacim, Susanna)
Part III, Scene 2: A virtuous wife shall soften Fortune's frown

Customer Reviews:

Intensely Pleasurable Listening - Gramophone Award.......2006-04-23

George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759): Susanna. Oratorio. First performed 1749. Complete version including all the music that Handel later deleted. Performed by Lorraine Hunt and Jill Feldman, soprano, Drew Minter, countertenor, Jeffrey Thomas, tenor, David Thomas and William Parker, bass; the U.C. Berkely Chamber Choir; the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco, conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
Recorded live in September, 1989, at the Hertz Hall at the University of California.
Harmonia Mundi 907030.32 (boxed set of 3 CDs). Total time: 2 h 58'22".

What a pity that Harmonia Mundi has deleted this first full recording of Handel's late oratorio "Susanna" from its catalogue. If, like me, you can manage to get hold of a second-hand copy, then do so by all means, for this Gramophone Award-winning set of discs is good for many hours of intensely pleasurable listening and provides insights into Handel's later style that are denied those who limit themselves to "Messiah" and "Israel in Egypt" or to his more dynamic, perhaps even blustery early works and operas. "Susanna", the story taken from a piece of Jewish writing from the 2nd century B. C. (and usually included in the "Apocrypha"), is a comparatively small-scale work with a lot of intimate writing: Lorraine Hunt, soprano, as Susanna, and Drew Minter, countertenor, as her husband Joacim, have wreaths of delightful airs in which they praise either each other or the delights of love and virtue. Both have comparatively small voices, not perhaps served particularly well by the dry and somewhat distant acoustic of this live recording, but while listening via headphones I came to the conclusion that this was, by far, the best McGegan recording I had heard to date and that the two singers mentioned were, stylistically, among the best Handel singers I have ever come across. Lorraine Hunt is wonderfully expressive, her voice seeming ideally to suit the pensive and intimate mood of this music, while Drew Minter impresses again and again with his ornamentation. The two villains of the piece, two Jewish elders who first attempt to rape Susanna and then, on being rebuffed, accuse her of adultery and have her sentenced to death, are sung by Jeffrey Thomas and David Thomas, two contrasting voices who here seem to capture perfectly the combination of perfidious hypocrisy and malevolent lust that Handel's libretto has woven into their texts. Although I am not a great fan of David Thomas's rather throaty bass, I must say that I found him here in magnificent form, ideally complementing Jeffrey Thomas, who here sounds, to my ears, a lot more convincing than on the McGegan recording of "La Resurrezione". The smaller roles are song by William Parker, bass, who acquits himself well, and by the boyish-sounding Jill Feldman, soprano, who had already captured my admiring attention on her earlier recordings with William Christie's Les Arts Florissants: here, again, I found her small but extremely pure voice to be absolutely delectable. - The relatively small contribution made by the choir is very well captured, although I found myself thinking that there was not really a comparison between the large Berkeley Chamber Choir (around 48 singers) and, for example, John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir on recordings such as "Solomon" for Philips. The smallish Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra produces beautiful music despite the lack of volume in the strings, and the harpsichord continuo (McGegan himself with Philip Brett and a continuo team) is always lively and keeps one on one's listening toes. Handel was remarkably reticent in this oratorio, and he only introduces trumpets very briefly towards the end of the third part, where they are played skilfully and accurately, something that is not always the case with natural trumpets.
All in all, a marvelous listening experience. The recordings were made live at two performances, but I only detected the slightest amount of stage or audience noise, and there is no applause at the end.

Handel: Susanna (Highlights); Theodora (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Handel: Susanna (Highlights); Theodora (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto
Handel: Ariodante (Highlights)
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Handel - Theodora / Peter Sellars · William Christie · Upshaw, Hunt, Daniels, Croft · Glyndebourne Opera
Handel: Clori, Tirsi e Fileno; Apollo e Dafne

ASIN: B0000APHO5
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Track Listings: