Festkonzert with Carolyn Sampson: Handel's Heroines

By Sandra Bowdler, 14 June 2019

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“...sung with real gioia, the rapid fire text being deftly managed with fleet and accurate coloratura”

Reviewed at Konzerthalle Ulrichskirche, Halle on 13 June 2019

Handel, Water Music, Suite no. 2 in D major, HWV 349

Handel, Almira, HWV1: Sarabande

Handel, Semele, HWV 58: Oh Jove in Pity, HWV 58

Handel, Theodora, HWV 68: With darkness deep

Handel, Choirs of angels all around thee (Deborah)

Handel, Musica Bellicosa

Handel, Floridante, HWV14: Sinfonia

Handel, Deidamia

Handel, Scipione, HWV 20: March

Handel, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17: Piangerò la sorte mia

Handel, Athalia, HWV 52: My vengeance awakes me

Handel, Atalanta, HWV 35: Overture

Handel, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17: Se pietà di me non senti

Handel, Air, March in D major HWV 460

Handel, Affani del pensier (Ottone)

Handel, Chaconne from Terpischore

Handel, Volate Amori

Handel, Amadigi HWV 11: Desterò dall'empia dite

Handel, Samson, HWV 57: Let the bright Seraphim (Encore)

Carolyn Sampson, Soprano

Neil Brough, Trumpet

The King's Consort

Robert King, Harpsichord, Director

Fitting Handel like a glove

Travis Mason, 14th January

Iestyn Davies and The King's Consort a real highlight at the Valletta International Baroque Festival.

****1

An Acis and Galatea without sparkle in Versailles

Vesna Gerintes, 28th June

Handel’s original version of Acis and Galatea was written in 1717–18 at Cannons, a stately home in Middlesex. Composed with light orchestration, it was not meant to be performed in an opera theatre, but rather in this private mansion.

**111

The King's Consort delights Dutch audience with works from Henry Purcell's English court

Kristen Huebner, 25th April

All too often opera in concert is presented in its most basic format, without the theatricality and staging so characteristic to its execution. However, when a presentation comes along from the likes of The King’s Consort, you can be sure that justice will be served, even without the smoke and mirrors we’ve all grown to love.

****1

The Fairy Queen at the Theater an der Wien

Zwölftöner, 1st March

The ‘semi-opera’ was an English musical and spoken theatre hybrid which by the end of the 17th century had begun to scrape the bottom of Restoration drama’s literary barrel, and by the 18th had been rendered obsolete by efforts to introduce the English to formal opera from the continent.

****1

The King's Consort: Musical Oysters at Wilton's Music Hall

James Potter, 14th February

'Romantic' is a term normally applied to heart-on-sleeve 19th-century music, but this evening's concert had me convinced that the real music of love is baroque. The venue was well-chosen for this evening of musical oysters; Wilton's Music Hall is beautiful, intimate and yet grandiose.

****1

The King’s Consort ofrece un Mesías moderado en el Auditorio

Ramón del Buey Cañas, 17th December

El planteamiento y la ejecución de Robert King fueron los de un Mesías con las virtudes y los defectos de lo domesticado.

***11

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Sandra Bowdler

Sandra Bowdler was born and educated in Sydney, and has pursued a career as an archaeologist since graduating from the University of Sydney in 1970. She is now Emeritus Professor of Archaeology and a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia in the School of Social Sciences and the School of Music. Since attending a production of Handel’s opera Alcina at the Sydney Opera House in 1982, she has become a devotee of the works of GF Handel, and Baroque music generally. In 1996 she began writing opera reviews for online outlets, graduating to more professional sources by 2000. In 2007, she inaugurated Festival Baroque Australia in Perth, Western Australia, Australia’s first Baroque music festival. Under that banner, she curated two festivals and several concerts in Perth.