Ernest Ansermet Conducts Handel

On this CD:

1. Concerto Grosso in F major, Op.6/2, HWV 320
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

2. Concerto Grosso in E minor, Op.6/3, HWV 321
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

3. Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op.6/4, HWV 322
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

4. Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op.6/6, HWV 324
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

5. Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op.6/10, HWV 328 Movement No.1: Overture
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

6. Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op.6/10, HWV 328 Movement No.2: Air, Lentement
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

7. Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op.6/10, HWV 328 Movement No.4: Allegro
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

8. Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op.6/10, HWV 328 Movement No.5: Allegro moderato (Gavotte)
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

9. Concerto Grosso in B minor, Op.6/12, HWV 330
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Decca String Orchestra with Leslie Heward
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet

Customer Reviews:

Good performance, but............2007-02-17

Ansermet's Handel is, I sure, beautifully drawn and the playing of the Decca Strings (surely a pick-up group) is quite lovely, but damned if I can hear much of it. Though the recording boasts a good bass foundation, all of the soft passages are swallowed up by the horrendous amount of surface noise that was left by transfer engineer, Seth Winner.

I have high esteem for the bulk of Mr. Winner's work on historical recordings, but this one is just too noisy for me. I have not heard the Lys issue of these performances, but perhaps it would be best to seek that one out.