# Help with Handel



## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

Hi there, 

I notice my collection lacks Baroque opera and I'd really like some. What recording would you recommend I start with as regards a Handel opera, bare in mind I love period instrument sound. Also I am not gone on male parts sung by sopranos but that might be unavoidable... did all Handel operas use castrati??

Also... someone might help me with this... earlier Baroque opera like Cassini or even Monteverdi... some suggestions for recordings? 

Muchas Gracias

J


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

For Handel:









For another, try Purcell:


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## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

Nice... thank you.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Ooh... I'll need to check into that Handel _Giulio Cesare_. I've only begun to really expand upon my Handel collection myself. Another couple you might consider:



















Other baroque opera:




























And for Monteverdi:


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## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

Minkowski seems to figure a lot. I had never heard of him. I am clearly a novice in this. Do these pieces have male parts sung by sopranos? Just curious. 

The archiv label seems to hold many jewels. nice one. 

thanks


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Are you interested in DVDs or just recordings?


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## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

Actually a DVD would be nice, now you mention it. Have some ideas for me?


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

For some recommended CD sets of Handel operas (and the equally delicious but different, cantatas), you might enjoy skimming through this thread:

Handel operas and cantatas - box sets

There are some single CDs of arias discussed in among those, too.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

jaibyrne said:


> Actually a DVD would be nice, now you mention it. Have some ideas for me?


All four of them are great.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

In case you were in even the slightest doubt about jhar26's DVD recommendations above, let me rush in and enthusiastically recommend them too. You might like to take a look at the more detailed discussions of them in the Opera on DVD thread.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Elgarian said:


> In case you were in even the slightest doubt about jhar26's DVD recommendations above, let me rush in and enthusiastically recommend them too. You might like to take a look at the more detailed discussions of them in the Opera on DVD thread.


What he said

Also these


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## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

Wow brilliant... thank you. Time to get myself some christmas gifts


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Interesting thread. (I just joined).

I have quite a number of Handel's opera; historically informed performances (which is all I buy 99% of the time). Here are a few that I would consider a good start. I won't write out all the details, you can simply do a search on Google for about the recordings' details, and reviews etc.

_Giulio Caesare in Egitto_ - Concerto Koln under Rene Jacobs, Jennifer Lamore as Cesare.

_Orlando_ - The Academy of Anicent Music under Christopher Hogwood.

_Rinaldo_ - Hogwood again, or Jacobs again (I have both versions).

_Serse_ - The Hannover Band under Nicholas McGegan.

Handel wrote about 40 operas. His first was _Almira_ and his last was _Deidamia_ (the latter was his last _Italian_ opera, although Handel did write further English works which had clearly operatic tendencies after _Deidamia._


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