Hyperion's Helios Handel: English arias James Bowman, King's Consort/Robert King Hyperion Helios CDH55419 I'm not a Handel groupie, tending to finding the oratorios and some of the operas often hard going, and to prefer 17th to 18th C music; nor am I a collector of opera singers' collections of arias... But this Helios reissure is captivating and not to be missed. James Bowman in 1992/95 was in peak form and, doubtles in close collaboration with Robert King, devised a wonderful sequence, graced by superb orchestral playing and readably learned notes by King. Puctuated by a couple of orchestral movements, this is programme building at its best. Regret that the players were unnamed for space reasons was assuaged by finding them all, many well remembered musicians, in crisp white on black in the CD tray... Clever ! Snap it up, and - really - don't pass by any of the Helios releases; They are always well chosen, played and recorded, and this is one of the best. Peter Grahame Woolf
Bach - Violin Concertos Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043 Catherine Mackintosh and Elizabeth Wallfisch (violins) It is good to have this fine disc in the catalogue as a bargain re-issue. It features two of our best loved baroque violinists, long term friends and colleagues, with Robert King and his Consort, who together over the years have given great pleasure in London and on tour. The interpretations combine period correctness with expressive intensity. Paul Goodwin adds piquant colour in the reconstructed C minor concerto. King's notes are exemplary, and Hyperion has chosen an intriguing illustration from London's Wallace Collection (close by Wigmore Hall) by Van Loo "whose critical fortune has plummeted, although his ability remains admirable" - worth following up. Peter Grahame Woolf
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