Bradley Creswick, Northern Sinfonia - Händel: Concerti Grossi Op. 3, Nos. 1- 6 (2001)

Handel's six Op. 3 concertos never have suffered from overexposure in the CD catalog, and indeed the considerably greater attention given the later Op. 6 masterpieces is understandable and justified. Except for the concerto No. 4 in F, these are rather ordinary examples of Handel's facility as a technician and melodist, showing moments of brilliance among the merely sub-genius passages. Don't get me wrong; this isn't second rate music, but merely less than first rate Handel. Unlike the later works in the genre, most of these give a dominant solo role to the oboe (or oboes) and, not unusual for Handel, sometimes recycle material used elsewhere. The concerto No. 4 is the one work in this group that really stands out--far out--from the others, right from the French-overture opening. Here we get a taste not just of the work of a technically accomplished master but of a composer at the peak of his craft, from the originality of ideas to the tautness of structure and the natural flow from one thematic scheme to the next. In all of this England's Northern Sinfonia proves fully engaged stylistically... It's certainly pleasant listening--and you can't go wrong for the price--and the performances stand up to most of the others in the short list of worthy competitors... The disc's sound--clear, detailed, open, resonant, well balanced--is a real asset and helps confirm this recording as a good choice for a basic library.