Amazon.co.uk: Handel: Saul /Scholl · Davies · Gritton · Argenta · Padmore · Gabrieli Consort & Players · McCreesh: George Frideric Handel, Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players, Andreas Scholl, Angus Smith, Julian Clarkson, Mark Padmore, Nancy Argenta, Paul Agnew, Susan Gritton, Susan Hemington Jones, Tom Phillips, Neal Davies: Music

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Listen to Samples

To hear a song sample, click on "Listen" by that sample.

Disc: 1
1. Allegro - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
2. Larghetto - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
3. Organo ad libitum - Timothy Roberts	Listen
4. Allegro - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
5. Andante larghetto - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
6. 1. Chorus: How excellent thy Name, O Lord - Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
See all 30 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. 42. Chorus: Envy! Eldestborn of Hell! - Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
2. 43. Recitative: Ah! dearest Friend - Mark Padmore, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
3. 44. Air: But sooner Jordan's Stream, I swear - Mark Padmore, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
4. 45. Recitative: O strange Vicissitude! - Andreas Scholl, Mark Padmore, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
5. 46. Air: Such haughty Beauties - Andreas Scholl, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
6. 47. Recitative: My Father comes - 48. Recitative: Hast thou obey'd my Orders - Mark Padmore, Neal Davies, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
See all 23 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. 69. Accompagnato: Wretch that I am - 70. Accompagnato: 'Tis said, here lives a Woman - 71. Recitative: With me what would'st thou? - Neal Davies, Paul Agnew, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
2. 72. Air: Infernal Spirits - Paul Agnew, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
3. 73. Accompagnato: Why hast thou forc'd me from the Realms of Peace - Paul Agnew, Neal Davies, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
4. 74. Symphony - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
5. 75. Recitative: Whence comest thou? - 76. Air: Impious Wretch, of Race accurst - Andreas Scholl, Angus Smith, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh	Listen
6. 77. March - Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh
See all 15 tracks on this disc

On this CD:

Saul
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players
with Andreas Scholl, Angus Smith, Julian Clarkson, Mark Padmore, Nancy Argenta, Paul Agnew, Susan Gritton, Susan Hemington Jones, Tom Phillips, Neal Davies, Jonathan Lemalu
Conducted by Paul McCreesh

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Saul is one of Handel's most dramatic and touching oratorios. Saul's insane jealousy and its tragic results are movingly told, with rich characterisations for the main characters and some of the composer's most colourful music. The addition of a carillon is exotic and flavourful; the trumpets and drums are exciting. McCreesh underlines the drama with his orchestra's crisp attacks and the chorus has real personality, whether in the songs of praise or the laments. Neil Davies's rich bass is remarkably expressive and fluid as Saul, while countertenor Andreas Scholl is triumphant as David; his tone is rich and full, capable of expressing anger, grief, loyalty. Mark Padmore uses his lovely, pliant tenor with warmth as Jonathan, and Susan Gritton's Merab is stunning. The rest of the cast is as emotionally involved as they are musically, which is to say, magnificently. John Eliot Gardiner's recording on Philips is excellent too, but this one beats it by a slim margin. --Robert Levine, Amazon.com

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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

Definitive Saul? I think so, yes., 13 Mar 2004

By	"maglinders" - See all my reviews

The singing is extraordinary, and practically every syllable audible. That should be a sine qua non but you don’t always get it. Ten from me for the the Archiv recording engineers, for dramatic balance as well as audibility.

- Neal Davies (Saul) has to get an Oscar or something. Imposing and involving from the first notes, but the scene at Endor in particular is unforgettable: the action is almost 3D. His dramatic range is enormous, and it would take some singer to out-sing this Saul.
- David: Andreas Scholl's most mature dramatic singing (on a recording) to date. Magnificent throughout but he surpasses himself in "O Lord whose mercies" and "O Jonathan/O Fatal Day". The best recits I have heard from him yet, too. As one critic already said, 'a David to die for'.
- Susan Gritton (Merab): another star with a huge dramatic range which she deploys to portray Merab's change of heart. Great characterisation and her usual first rate singing. A bit much vibrato for me, late in the action (only at one point), but very rewarding. A real cat, though properly and convincingly imperious (you can almost see her point) in the early scenes and sweet and mournful at the end.
- Michal (Nancy Argenta) audibly grows up during the drama. From sounding like a 16 year old making googoo eyes at the hero, she turns into a feisty woman. Argenta's experience adds a great deal to this recording. Deborah York was down to sing Michal but she was ill. Lucky for us Argenta was available :-)
- Mark Padmore's (Jonathan’s) recits *alone* are worth the price of the set - and he's not normally my favourite dramatic tenor by any means. Much deeper characterisation than in the live performances of a year or two back. He sounds utterly distraught at Saul's insanity. As the voice of "O let it not in Gath be heard", he sounds pole-axed, ashamed and angry in equal measure. Stunning singing.
- Paul Agnew is as good as you would expect, in his traditional ;-) role for McC of High Priest (vid. SOLOMON) but he is absolutely breath-stopping, horrifying, as the Witch.
- Young Jonathan Lemalu as the ghost of Samuel has the least expression among the singers but he does have a gorgeous sound -- and not a lot to do in this.
- The minor roles are all good (well, I can't *always* hear every word from Susan Hemington Jones,