A Handel Celebration

Handel is indeed a composer not to commemorate but to celebrate. The exuberant grandeur of his best known works has thrilled listeners ever since he was the toast of Europe but especially Italy and England for works as diverse in mood and genre as his stunning early opera Rinaldo, his virtuosic trio sonatas, his Coronation Anthems for George II and of course his regal suites of Water Music and Fireworks Music. All these works and many more can be found in this 40-CD set of Handel s greatest works. The performers include distinguished Handelian luminaries such as Marilyn Horne, Maureen Forrester, Sir Neville Marriner and Sir David Will, and the set runs the gamut of Handel s mastery of genres, from the dance-infused intimacy of the Harpsichord Suites to the double choir and huge orchestra of his grandest oratorio, Solomon. The Choir of King s College Cambridge can be heard as well as seen on a bonus DVD of Messiah, and a CD-ROM includes booklet notes and sung texts.