Artists:Arleen Auger, Klaartje van Veldhoven, Monika Frimmer, Lynne Dawson, Christiane Oelze, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Maureen Forrester, Catherine Denley, Hilary Summers, Louise Parker, Laurence Dutoit, Sheila Armstrong, Mark Deller, Herbert Handt, Thomas Hemsley, Malcolm Smith, Roy Samuelsen, John Mark Ainsley, Alexander Young, John Shirley-Quirk, Alastair Miles, Axel Köhler, Ingeborg Springer, Eberhard Büchner, Alfred Deller, Honor Sheppard, Max Worthley, Michael George, Maurice Bevan, Tom Sol, Nicola Wemyss, Stefanie True, Luciana Mancini, Mitchell Sandler, Anton Steck, Markus Hoffmann, Juliane Heutjer, Elodie Wiemer, Christian Schmitt, Erik Bosgraaf, Francesco Corti, Michael Borgstede, Roberto Loreggian, Hollands Boys' Choir, Berliner Singakademie, King's College Choir Cambridge, RIAS Kammerchor, L'Ecole d'Orphee, Contrasto Armonico, Musica Perduta, Harmonices Mundi, Musica ad Rhenum, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Concerto Köln, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Kammerorchester der Wiener Symphoniker, Kammerorchester Berlin, Händel-Festspielorchester Halle, Brandenburg Consort, Orchester der Deutschen Händel-Solisten, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, City of London Sinfonia, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Dutch Baroque Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Helmut Koch, Anton Steck, Max Pommer, Nicol Matt, Nicholas Ward, Jed Wentz, Marco Vitale, David Willcocks, Dietrich Knothe, Christian Kluttig, Stephen Cleobury, Marcus Creed, Anthony Bramall, Johannes Somary, Maurice Abravanel, Mogens Wöldike
An exact contemporary of Bach, George Frideric Handel was one of the most important composers of the Baroque era, carving out a career for himself which was equally as impressive as his fellow countryman’s. Born in Halle, Germany, to parents who were initially opposed to his devotion to music, Handel soon moved from his hometown to the great operatic centre of Hamburg. The opportunity to meet people from around Europe led to a rapid development of his skills, and, influenced by the Italian style that was gathering pace around him, the composer took the opportunity to travel to Italy, staging La Resurrezione in Rome in 1708. Handel’s reputation soon picked up, and in 1710 he became Kapellmeister to the Elector of Hannover, Prince George, who would soon become King George I of England. The connection with England had been established, and Handel moved there permanently in 1714, helping to found the Royal Academy of Music five years later. When the new Covent Garden Theatre was established in 1736, Handel celebrated the opening night with a performance of Alexander’s Feast (included in full on this release).