Maulbronn Monastery Edition > The Power of Handel - Best of his glorious Oratorios

<body> <div align="center"> <br> <br> <br> <img src="../../Images/Power-of-Haendel.jpg" alt="CD Cover" name="Power_of_Haendel" align="middle" border="0"> <p></p>   <p></p> <p></p> <div class="tabelletitel"> <p class="bodyblueheadline"><font size="3">Maulbronn Monastery CD Series 1998-2008<br> </font><font size="6">The Power of Handel<br> </font><font size="4">Best of his glorious Oratorios<br> <br> </font>Outstanding Extracts with Choir & Orchestra<br> from the Oratorios<br> <a href="SetJephtha.html" target="_blank">Jephtha</a> ~ <a href="SetSamson.html" target="_blank">Samson</a> ~ <a href="S20JudasMaccab.html" target="_blank">Judas Maccabaeus</a> ~ <a href="S22Saul.html" target="_blank">Saul</a><br> <a href="S24Belshazzar.html" target="_blank">Belshazzar</a> ~ <a href="S23Solomon.html" target="_blank">Solomon</a> ~ <a href="SMessias.html" target="_blank">Messiah</a> ~ <a href="Joshua.html" target="_blank">Joshua<br> </a>by George Frideric Handel</p> <p class="InhaltCenter">Performances in English according to the traditions of the time<br> with the Maulbronn Chamber Choir and soloists such as<br> Miriam Allan, Nancy Argenta, Catherine King,<br> Sinéad Pratschke, Melinda Paulsen,<br> Michael Chance, Mark Le Brocq,<br> Charles Humphries, Christopher Purves,<br> James Rutherford, Stephen Varcoe a.o.<br> Conductor: Jürgen Budday<br> <br> Live Recordings of Concerts at the<br> UNESCO World Heritage Site Maulbronn Monastery,<br> produced 1998-2008<br> by Josef-Stefan Kindler & Andreas Otto Grimminger,<br> K&K Verlagsanstalt<br> <br> <font size="2">Recording & Mastering Engineer: Andreas Otto Grimminger.<br> Photos, Illustrations and Liner Notes: Josef-Stefan Kindler.<br> <br> </font><font size="2">CD Audio, ca. 82 minutes, DDD<br> KuK 44, ISBN 978-3-930643-44-8, EAN 42 6000591 059 9<br> Copyright by K&K Verlagsanstalt anno 2008</font></p> </div> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="tabelletect"> <p class="Inhalt"><font size="6">F</font>or more than ten years now, we have been documenting the concerts in the Maulbronn Monastery. Among the many wonderful recordings that we have in the meantime released in this series, the performances of the oratorios composed by the man born as Georg Friedrich Händel are a real treasure. To have produced the greatest works of a composer in performance, in the same space, with the unmistakable hallmark of the conductor and with more or less the same choir, soloists and orchestra is something that I find impossible to write about in retrospective at the moment, given the challenges that were involved and the simple fact that the end of this series is not yet in sight. May our future recordings be many and just as successfull.<br> What is the fascination of the oratorios? Old music - it often attracts the wrong sort of clichés. Terms like tension, power, drama and virtuosity are simply not used as synonyms for works of this genre. But it is precisely factors like these that have induced us to preserve the oratorios for posterity, and in all their authenticity - as concerts.<br> Georg Friedrich Händel knew how to bewitch an audience, how to make it tremble - then as now. It was no different even for Haydn. Let me illustrate this with an anecdote: the fall of Jericho in Act II of the oratorio "Joshua" inspired Händel to compose one of his most magnificent "thunder choruses", and this Haydn experienced in person at a grandiose performance in Westminster Abbey in 1791. It made a huge impression on him. Haydn was supposedly familiar with the music, yet only half aware of its effect until he actually got to hear it. In any case, Haydn was convinced that only a genius like Händel could ever have written such an outstanding composition or, indeed, anything like it at any point in the future ...<br> Back then, people still had time - there were no distractions like television, radio or the Internet to overwhelm them. And yet Haydn still had great difficulty appreciating the true greatness and power of an oratorio properly. This power, this drama is the idea, the underlying concept of our retrospective. To create a cross-section - an interim balance, if you will - that brings you closer to the world of Händel's oratorios and the world of old music. We couldn't get the thunder choruses of Jericho out of our minds. So, working with Jürgen Budday, we have put together the most moving of the choruses, arias and orchestral sections of the oratorios. The essence is a cross-section of the most beautiful and powerful moments from eight oratorios about the heroes and kings of the Old Testament: The Power of Händel.</p> <p class="InhaltRight"><br> Josef-Stefan Kindler, K&K Verlagsanstalt</p> </div> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="tabelletect"> <p class="Inhalt"><font size="6">H</font>andel never set foot in Maulbronn - and basically speaking, his work has nothing to do with the world of medieval monasteries. And yet, for a good ten years now, this town in the old German state of Wuerttemberg that boasts the only completely preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps has played an important role in fostering Handel's oratorios. Now, thanks to live CD recordings, Handel aficionados from all over the world can be part of the Handel concerts at the Maulbronn Monastery, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site since 1994. Recordings of nine oratories are in the meantime available.<br> <br> The concerts are conducted by Maulbronn church music director Jürgen Budday, instructor of music at the Evangelical Theology Seminar in Maulbronn and also responsible for church music at the Monastery church since 1978. Since that time, in addition to his official duties, Budday has also acted as artistic director of the Maulbronn Monastery Concerts, which came into being in 1968 and are the setting for the Handel concerts. These mostly take place in autumn, when the Monastery concert season is drawing to a close. The keystone of these concerts is the Maulbronn Chamber Choir, whose origins date back to 1983 and which now draws professional singers from all over Germany. Graduates of the Maulbronn Seminar make up the nucleus of this choir, which was originally formed for a concert tour of the United States. In the meantime, however, the choir and Jürgen Budday have given guest performances all over Europe and performed in the USA, Israel, South Africa and Namibia, as well as twice in Argentina.<br> <br> The CDs of the Maulbronn Handel performances are recorded live and published by the K&K Verlagsanstalt, whose studios are based at Landau in the Palatinate. The company's Maulbronn Monastery Edition also includes highlights on CD of other Maulbronn Monastery concerts.<br> <br> Editor Josef-Stefan Kindler immediately fell under the spell of the Maulbronn ambiance and was so convinced of its artistic potential that he developed the concept of the Maulbronn Monastery Edition. It was clear from the very start that the live recordings of the concerts in this collection would have to satisfy high artistic standards, since they were intended to be much, much more than mere souvenirs or records of events. The same applied to the performances of the Handel compositions. For Jürgen Budday, the important thing was historical authenticity in the actual performing of these works. He too wanted to put Maulbronn's fostering of Handel's legacy into a conceptual context and set up a cycle that was consistent in terms of content. So, contextually, all the Maulbronn productions are arranged in series such as "Biblical Heroes in Handel's Oratorios" or "Biblical Kings" or "Biblical Battle Commanders".<br> <br> The series of live recordings for the Monastery Edition started with "Jephtha" in 1998. "Samson" followed in 1999. After a break of one year, it was the turn of "Judas Maccabaeus" in 2001, then came "Saul" in 2002, "Solomon" in 2003 and "Belshazzar" in 2004. The next two years were dedicated to the "Messiah" - the original composition was recorded in 2005, followed by the Mozart version in 2006, in keeping with "Mozart Year". 2007 saw the live recording of "Joshua".<br> <br> All the Maulbronn recordings are the responsibility of sound engineer Andreas Grimminger of the K&K Verlagsanstalt, and technically the sound is simply exquisite. He places great value on bringing as much of the very special aura of these concerts as possible to the recordings and is highly successful in doing so. There is indeed a particular density to the mood of Handel concerts in this venerable monastery church - and although almost all of Handel's oratorios were composed with secular performance venues in mind, they have found a very suitable home in the Maulbronn Monastery church. It is therefore no coincidence that this is one of the things about the concerts at Maulbronn that even celebrity soloists hold in high regard. Countertenor Michael Chance, who has appeared in several concerts, made a point of telling Jürgen Budday that performing at Maulbronn was "a real highlight" on his calendar - and this is a calendar that includes concerts and operas at top venues. Right at the beginning of the series, Emma Kirkby, a world star on the old music scene, appeared at Maulbronn.<br> <br> And besides Michael Chance, internationally sought-after soloists have come to Maulbronn and continue to do so. They include Nancy Argenta, Stephen Varcoe, Markus Schäfer and Marlies Petersen (shortly after her appearance at the Salzburg festival). But young singers with great promise also figure in the solo parts of Handel's oratorios here. The Emma Kirkby student, Miriam Allan, gave a truly world-class performance singing in "Joshua" - one that was not limited to her rendering of the famous air "Oh! had I Jubal's lyre?". And we will undoubtedly be hearing more of David Allsopp, the young countertenor who also appeared in "Joshua". The orchestra part has been in the hands of the Hanoverian Court Orchestra for some years now. This is an original sound ensemble of top-class musicians, who also love to come to Maulbronn. And, according to Jürgen Budday, the working relationship here is very productive.<br> <br> The Handel CDs of the famous works offer an exciting alternative to recordings by the competition, and the Maulbronn versions are certainly able to hold their own here. Moreover, their value for the repertoire itself is anything but small. Take the case of "Joshua", for instance: to date, this is the only recording of the oratorio superior enough to compete with that recorded by Robert King and his "King's Concert". And the Maulbronn concert recording of the Mozart version of the "Messiah" on original instruments has also enriched the discography significantly. As yet - with the exception of the aforementioned Robert King and Peter Neumann with his Cologne Chamber Choir - no conductor and no choir have so consistently recorded so many Handel oratorios as Jürgen Budday and his Maulbronn Chamber Choir.</p> <p class="InhaltRight"><br> Dr. Karl Georg Berg, 2008,<br> Handel Memoranda, Händelhaus in Halle</p> </div> <div class="tabelletect"> <p class="bodyblueheadline"><font size="5" face="Times New Roman">Works & MP3 Previews<br> </font><font size="2">(128 kBit/s)</font></p> <p class="InhaltCenter"><br> <a title="play track 01 - 02" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/01-02.mp3"><b>1. & 2. Why do the nations</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Air from Messiah ~ CD II, No. 13<br> Christopher Purves (Bass)<br> </i></font><b>Let us break their bonds as under</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Chorus from Messiah ~ CD II, No. 14<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>3. He that dwelleth in heaven<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative from Messiah ~ CD II, No. 14<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor)<br> <br> </i></font><b>4. Thou shalt break them<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air from Messiah ~ CD II, No. 14<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor)<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 05" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/05.mp3"><b>5. Hallelujah<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Messiah ~ CD II, No. 16</i></font></a></p> <p class="InhaltCenter"><a title="play track 06" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/06.mp3"><b>6. Glory to God</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Air & "Thunderchoir" from Joshua ~ CD I, No. 27<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor) as Joshuah<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>7. Shall I in Mamre's fertile plain<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air from Joshua ~ CD II, No. 17<br> James Rutherford (Bass) as Caleb<br> <br> </i></font><b>8. For all these mercies we will sing<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Joshua ~ CD II, No. 18<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 09" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/09.mp3"><b>9. Oh! had I Jubal's lyre<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air from Joshua ~ CD II, No. 25<br> Miriam Allan (Soprano) as Achsah<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>10. The great Jehovah is our awful theme<br> </b><i><font size="2">Chorus from Joshua ~ CD II, No. 29<br> <br> </font></i><a title="play track 11" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/11.mp3"><b>11. Your harps and cymbals sound</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Chorus of Priests from Solomon ~ CD I, No. 2<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>12. The arrival of the Queen of Sheba<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Sinfonia from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 10<br> <br> </i></font><b>13. Music spread thy voice around<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air & Chorus from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 13<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Solomon<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 14 - 16" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/14-16.mp3"><b>14. - 16. Now a diff'rent measure try</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Air from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 14<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Solomon<br> </i></font><b>Shake the dome<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 14<br> </i></font><b>Then at once from rage remove<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 15<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Solomon<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>17. Draw the tear from hopeless love<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 15<br> <br> </i></font><b>18. Next the tortur'd soul release<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 16<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Solomon<br> <br> </i></font><b>19. Thus rolling surges rise<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air from Solomon ~ CD II, No. 16<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Solomon<br> <br> </i></font><b>20. By slow degrees the wrath of God<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus of Jews from Belshazzar ~ CD I, No. 21<br> <br> </i></font><b>21. Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 3<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor) as Belshazzar<br> <br> </i></font><b>22. Help, help the king! Behold!<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative & Chorus from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 4<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor) as Belshazzar<br> <br> </i></font><b>23. Ye sages, welcome always to your king<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Recitative from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 6<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor) as Belshazzar<br> <br> </i></font><b>24. Alas, too hard a task the king imposes<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus of Wise Men from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 6<br> <br> </i></font><b>25. Oh misery! Oh terror, hopeless grief!<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus of Babylonians from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 7<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 26" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/26.mp3"><b>26. Tell it out among the heathen<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Soli & Chorus from Belshazzar ~ CD II, No. 26<br> Miriam Allan (Soprano), Michael Chance (Altus),<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor)</i></font></a><br> <br> <a title="play track 27 - 28" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/27-28.mp3"><b>27. & 28. Already see, the daughters of the land</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Recitative from Saul ~ CD I, No. 14<br> Nancy Argenta (Soprano) as Michal<br> </i></font><b>Welcome mighty King<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Saul ~ CD I, No. 15<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>29. What do I hear<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Accompagnato from Saul ~ CD I, No. 16<br> Stephen Varcoe (Bass) as Saul<br> <br> </i></font><b>30. David his Ten Thousands slew<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Saul ~ CD I, No. 16<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 31 - 32" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/31-32.mp3"><b>31. & 32. First perish thou; and perish all the world</b><br> <font size="2"><i>Recitative from Jephtha ~ CD II, No. 4<br> Melinda Paulsen (Mezzosoprano) as Storgé<br> </i></font><b>Let other creatures die<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Arioso from Jephtha ~ CD II, No. 5<br> Melinda Paulsen (Mezzosoprano) as Storgé</i></font></a><br> <br> <a title="play track 33" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/33.mp3"><b>33. Awake the trumpet's lofty sound<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Samson ~ CD I, No. 2<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>34. Return, o God of Hosts<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air & Chorus from Samson ~ CD I, No. 14<br> Michael Chance (Altus) as Micah<br> <br> </i></font><b>35. Sion now her head shall raise<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Duet from Judas Maccabaeus ~ CD I, No. 28<br> Sinéad Pratschke (Soprano)<br> Catherine King (Mezzo-Soprano)<br> <br> </i></font><b>36. Tune your harps<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus ~ CD I, No. 29<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 37" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/37.mp3"><b>37. Sound an alarm<br> We hear the pleasing dreadful call<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Air & Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus ~ CD II, No. 7<br> Mark Le Brocq (Tenor) as Judas Maccabeus<br> <br> </i></font></a><b>38. Sing unto God<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus ~ CD II, No. 18<br> Charles Humphries (Altus) & Mark Le Brocq (Tenor)<br> <br> </i></font><a title="play track 39" href="../../mp3/mb/handel/39.mp3"><b>39. Hallelujah! Amen<br> </b><font size="2"><i>Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus ~ CD II, No. 25</i></font></a></p> </div> <p></p> <div class="tabelletect"> <p class="bodyblue"><font size="5"><b><i>Oratorios by G. F. Handel<br> in the Maulbronn Monastery CD-Edition<br> </i></b></font><b><i>Concert recordings of historically informed performances in English<br> with the Maulbronn Chamber Choir, conducted by Jürgen Budday<br> </i></b></p> <p class="bodyblue"><b><a href="SetJephtha.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Jephtha </a><br> </b>Soloists: Emma Kirkby, Melinda Paulsen, Charles Humphries,<br> Julian Podger, Stephen Varcoe & Monastery Baroque Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="SetSamson.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Samson </a><br> </b>Soloists: Sinéad Pratschke, Michael Chance, Marc LeBrocq,<br> Raimund Nolte, David Thomas & Monastery Baroque Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="S20JudasMaccab.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Judas Maccabaeus</a><br> </b>Soloists: Sinéad Pratschke, Catherine King, Charles Humphries,<br> Marc LeBrocq, Christopher Purves & Musica Florea Prag<br> <br> <b><a href="S22Saul.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Saul</a><br> </b>Soloists: Nancy Argenta, Laurie Reviol, Michael Chance,<br> Mark LeBrocq, Michael Berner, Stephen Varcoe, Steffen Balbach<br> & Hanoverian Court Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="S23Solomon.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Solomon</a></b><br> Soloists: Nancy Argenta, Laurie Reviol, Michael Chance,<br> Julian Podger, Steffen Balbach & Hanoverian Court Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="S24Belshazzar.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Belshazzar</a> </b><br> Soloists: Miriam Allan, Michael Chance, Patrick van Goethem,<br> Mark Le Brocq, André Morsch & Hanoverian Court Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="SMessiah.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Messiah</a></b><br> Soloists: Miriam Allan, Michael Chance, Mark Le Brocq,<br> Christopher Purves & Hanoverian Court Orchestra<br> <br> <a href="S-Mozart-Messiah.html" target="_blank"><b>George Frideric Handel </b>arranged by W.A. Mozart <b>·</b> Der Messias<br> </a>Soloists: Marlis Petersen, Margot Oitzinger, Markus Schäfer,<br> Marek Rzepka & Hanoverian Court Orchestra<br> <br> <b><a href="Joshua.html" target="_blank">George Frideric Handel · Joshua</a></b><br> Soloists: Miriam Allan, David Allsopp, Mark Le Brocq,<br> James Rutherford & Hanoverian Court Orchestra</p> </div> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="tabelletect"> <p class="bodyblueheadline"><font size="5">The Maulbronn Monastery CD Series</font></p> <p class="Inhalt"><font size="6">P</font>ublishing culture in its authentic form entails for us capturing and recording for posterity outstanding performances and concerts. The performers, audience, opus and room enter into an intimate dialogue that in its form and expression, its atmosphere, is unique and unrepeatable. It is our aim, the philosophy of our house, to enable the listener to acutely experience every facet of this symbiosis, the intensity of the performance. The results are unparalleled interpretations of musical and literary works, simply - <i><b>audiophile snapshots </b></i>of permanent value.<br> <br> The concerts in <i><b>Maulbronn monastery</b></i>, which we document with this edition, supply, the ideal conditions for our aspirations. It is, above all, the atmosphere of the romantic, candle-lit arches, the magic of the monastery in its unadulterated sublime presence and tranquillity that impresses itself upon the performers and audience of these concerts. Renowned soloists and ensembles from the international arena repeatedly welcome the opportunity to appear here - enjoying the unparalleled acoustic and architectural beauty of this <b><i>World Heritage Site</i></b> (monastery church, cloister gardens, lay refectory, etc.), providing exquisite performances of secular and sacred music.<br> <br> Under the patronage of the <b><i>Evangelical Seminar</i></b>, the <b><i>Maulbronn Monastery Cloister Concerts</i></b> were instigated in 1968 with an abundance of musical enthusiasm and voluntary leadership. Within the hallowed walls of the <b><i>classical grammar and boarding school</i></b>, existent for more than 450 years, some of society's great thinkers, poets and humanists, such as Kepler, Hölderlin, Herwegh and Hesse received their first impressions.<br> <br> The youthful elan, the constructive participation of the pupils, continuing the tradition of their great predecessors, constructs an enlightened climate in which artistic ambitions can especially thrive. Twenty-five concerts take place between May and September. Their success can be largely attributed to the many voluntary helpers from near and far. There is a break for winter.<br> <br> <i><b>Flourishing culture in a living monument, created for the delight of the live audience and, last but not least, you the listener, are the ideals we document with this series. </b></i></p> <p class="InhaltRight"><br> Jürgen Budday, Andreas Otto Grimminger & Josef-Stefan Kindler</p> </div> <p></p> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <p> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </body>