# Please help me with my Handel quest



## vincentfernandes

Hello everyone.

Well, this is my very first post on this forum. I have been a member of the Final Fantasy Shrine community for several months but decided to ask for advice here because the classical community there is very little.

I am a big fan of baroque music, especially Handel and Bach. I want to collect the following works by Handel on period instruments:
- English oratorios, 
- non-Chandos anthems 
- English songs,
- and I am also desperately looking for the magnificent recording of Handel's Royal Fireworks and second Cncerto a Due Cori, performed by the little orchestra of London. (My grandfather had this one on gramophone but threw it away because it was damaged too badly.)

Thinking that buying a complete set of Handel's works would probably be the cheapest way, I did some research already and labels like Brilliant have released Bach's complete works, but there doesn't seem to be anything out there for Handel, except for The Masterworks, a set I really despise because more than half of the things on there are performed on modern instruments. Am I right in saying that not a a single label has released Handel's complete works yet? 

Then I just found out about the Handel Edition, released by Warner Music, but yet again no one seemed to be able to tell me if it was complete or not. The samples really made me want to buy the box sets, but there are only a few volumes out there on Amazon, so I have a feeling this set is still incomplete and more volumes will come out, though no one has confirmed this theory yet.

So what I'd like to know is, does anyone here either have that Handel Edition set, or are there people out here who have Handel's works I'm looking for, and if so, could they tell me which ones I should buy? I have no idea if download links are allowed on this board, but if people would be willing to spare me the need of buying everything, I would be delighted to give you things in return via PM, both classical music and unreleased recording sessions to movies.


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## realdealblues

I have both the Handel Masterworks box sets by Decca & Brilliant Classics. They are both nice sets although I admit I haven't spent hours analyzing them and I'm not "real" picky on Modern vs Period instruments. I like both.

I haven't "studied" Handel like I'm sure many others have so I'm not an expert on Handel recordings, but I most often listen to his Orchestral Works.

My favorite recording of his Orchestral Works is this one from Trevor Pinnock and is played on Period Instruments.









That's the only recording I personally recommend for Handel.

I have a few recordings of Messiah but only 1 or 2 recordings of most of his other vocal works so I'm afraid I can't help you much there.


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## vincentfernandes

I agree, PInnock does a fantastic job on the orchestral works. I have that set too, both on vinyl and cds and love it, but I am interested in extending my Handel music knowledge a bit, and sadly, not everything can be found online. The Handel Eidtion from warner music contains many recordings by narnoncours, a person whose interpretations always intrigued me, but I just can't believe there isn't a complete box for Handel anywhere.


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## realdealblues

I'm sure Brilliant Classics will come out with one eventually, but yeah, I haven't seen a complete works box for Handel yet.


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## bigshot

The Brilliant Classics Handel box is excellent, inexpensive and fits your requirements. It's sometimes on sale at Amazon.de


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## KRoad

bigshot said:


> The Brilliant Classics Handel box is excellent, inexpensive and fits your requirements. It's sometimes on sale at Amazon.de


I'll second (or third this).


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## vincentfernandes

Hang on, I'm a little confused... Are you referring to the 40disk box set wthat contains things like the Concerti Grossi on period instruments, and several operas on period instruments as well? Handel - The Masterworks? As far as I know it contained only a few operas and two oratorios, and the English songs and a lot of anthems were missing.


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## quack

Apparently not all Handel's works have been recorded, Deidamia is one such opera and I didn't even know he had a set of english songs, never seen those about. So a complete works is still pretty unlikely, and they seem rare for prolific opera composers or baroque composers unless they are Bach.

The Brilliant box sets do tend to be a meat-grinder approach, lots of works but often little to distinguish between them, better to get the music recorded by more characteristic musicians like Pinnock.


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## vincentfernandes

Yes, you're probably right that I should go for Pinnock. I had a look around on Amazon and the anthems I'm missing aren't even recorded - God knows why because the sheet music exists - and the oratorios I'm looking for are also quite rare... It's going to be more expensive to look for seperate recordings, but I'm just not satisfied when Brilliant says 'various artists'. If that is all they can come up with, I will indeed try and find more by Pinnock.

So... other than that, does anyone know something about that Little Orchestra of London recording of Royal Fireworks? I would do anything in the world to hear that organ version of Fireworks again, but I can't find it anywhere.


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## bigshot

I've got several of the Brilliant boxes, and not one of them takes a meat grinder approach. What they've taught me is that when it comes to good performances, the usual suspects don't have a monopoly.


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## vincentfernandes

Agreed, some orchestras do an amazing job and don't get enough credit, but to include stuff performed on modern instruments is just a bit over the top for me. I mean, it's like you would have to hear the English Concert play film music. It's just not done, I think...


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## bigshot

I actually wish Brilliant Classics had recordings on modern instruments. That isn't the case with the boxes I have.


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## presto

realdealblues said:


> I'm sure Brilliant Classics will come out with one eventually, but yeah, I haven't seen a complete works box for Handel yet.


I think it would be a very complicated task doing a complete Handel edition on CD due to the fact he recycled so much of his material over the years.
It would be very difficult deciding what the leave in or out due to very similar movements cropping up all the time.
Probably the reason why it hasn't been done yet.


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## KRoad

quack said:


> The Brilliant box sets do tend to be a meat-grinder approach, lots of works but often little to distinguish between them, better to get the music recorded by more characteristic musicians like Pinnock.


Price is a very real consideration I think with the Brilliant Boxes - but all things considered they are generally outstanding value in every sense of the word. When you find a piece that appeals, then go pay the premium for a Pinnock (if it exists). I agree the English Chamber/Consort are very good - my preferred in fact, but a B. Box is a great starting point.


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## vincentfernandes

Well, bigshot, then I can highly reccomend you the box set Handel - The Masterworks, 40 cds, it's littered with recordings on period instruments (Water music, Fireworks, concerti grossi, you name it, everything on period instruments.) Well, if someone would release Handel's Complete Works, I don't see where the problem lies, because if it's complete, you don't have to leave anything out at all. Look at that 153 disks edition for Bach. A lot of things are reeated there because some of his violin and harpsichord concertos are based on the same melodies, so repeating things isn't something new. What's more, that Bach editoin has 99% of the recordings on period instrumnets, so I'm just surprised no one has come up with a Handel edition yet.


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