Handel: Streams of Pleasure (from Theodora)

The oratorios from which Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux perform excerpts on Streams of Pleasure were premiered between 1744 and 1750 and are among Handel’s last compositions. Soprano and contralto are joined for this pleasurable collection by internationally acclaimed early music ensemble Il Complesso Barocco under its musical director Alan Curtis.

Founded by Alan Curtis in Amsterdam in 1979, Il Complesso Barocco has become a renowned Baroque orchestra with a focus on Italian opera and oratorio of the period. Its rich discography was for a time devoted to the late madrigal repertory, but it has also released an award-winning recording of Rossi’s Primo Libro di Madrigali, as well as a disc of Handel’s arias and duets, Amore e Gelosia with Patrizia Ciofi and Joyce DiDonato. Il Complesso Barocco’s releases of Handel operas include Dmeto, Rodrigo, Arminio, Deidamia, Radamisto, Berenice, Alcina, and Ariodante, several of which have won the ‘International Handel Recording Prize’.

Highly regarded contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux has recorded for numerous labels, and now enjoys an exclusive contract with Naïve, for which she has recorded the title roles in Vivaldi’s operas Griselda and Orlando furioso, and La Fida Ninfa. In recent times she has released a critically acclaimed programme of Vivaldi arias with the Ensemble Matheus under Jean-Christophe Spinosi.

Fellow Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin’s has recorded for labels including ATMA, Astrée, and Dorian, and has appeared on Naïve’s recording of Vivaldi’s Tito Manlio as well Handel’s Ezio, Alcina, and Tolomeo with I’l Complesso Barocco for DG and DG Archiv.

‘Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon King. And all the people rejoiced and said: God save the King! Long live the King! May the King live for ever! Alleluia! Amen.’ These words were sung by the combined choirs of the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey at the coronation of King George II of England on 11 October 1727. The impact of the first choral entry after a long instrumental introduction is so unforgettable that since then the anthem 'Zadok the Priest' has been sung at the Unction of each new British sovereign.

The event thus marked a consecration of sorts for its composer, born Georg Friedrich Händel in 1685 at Halle in Saxony and transformed into George Frideric Handel, British subject, by Act of Parliament dated 20 February of that same year 1727. He was to enjoy his most lasting success with a work devoid of action and dramatic protagonists, which set out the very basis of Christian doctrine in words drawn entirely from the Bible: 'Messiah', given its first performance in Dublin in 1742.The grandeur and sublime simplicity of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ so moved King George II that he rose from his seat; ever since then, it has been the tradition in Britain for the audience to stand for this movement. Handel's 'Largo' is now synonymous with Harrods' adverts, 'Zadok' has prefaced many a Royal or sporting ceremony and, most recently, millions watched the Royal Jubilee Pageant flotilla sail down the Thames to the 'Water Music' in an inglorious downpour.

This new Handel collection features two great singers alongside the English Concert, arguably one of the best baroque orchestras in the UK. Duets play a key role in Handel’s stage works. A master of the Baroque opera seria medium, with its extended sequence of solo arias and recitative dialogue, he understood the dramatic effectiveness of occasional numbers blending two voices, generally those of a soprano heroine and a castrato hero.

The exquisite programme offers a carefully chosen selection of Handel duets from his operas and oratorios Giulio Cesare, Belshazzar, Theodora, Ottone, Sosarme, Radimisto, Rodelinda, Agrippina and Tamerlano.

Sarah Connolly CBE has become a highly sought-after performer on the operatic stage in a wide range of repertoire. Her Handelian roles have including the title-role in Giulio Cesare for the Glyndebourne Festival; in Agrippina, Xerxes, Ariodante and Ruggiero (Alcina) for the English National Opera and Ino/Juno (Semele) for the San Francisco Opera. She also starred in the 2009 Last Night of the Proms.

Rosemary Joshua is well known for her Handel roles, having sung Ginevra (Ariodante) in San Diego; Angelica (Orlando) in Munich, for Covent Garden and at the Aix-en- Provence Festival; and the title-role in Semele for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award and recorded for Chandos. Her recording of Partenope for Chandos was awarded the Stanley Sadie Handel Recording Prize.

The English Concert is conducted by Harry Bicket.

With a combination of such forces, this album is sure to make for a must-have for all Handel enthusiasts.