Academy of St. Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner – Handel: Ballet Music (1972/2024) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner – Handel: Ballet Music (1972/2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 45:56 minutes | 479 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Decca Records

Handel wrote all this ballet music for operas, new or revived, in which Marie Salle was to dance while she was in London in the mid-1730s. She will not, of course, have graced all these pieces; she was famed for expressiveness rather than virtuosity, and presumably delegated the very quick and exciting dream music in Alcina to someone else. But slower pieces predominate and they show that Handel was fully appreciative of her charms. Gardiner uses a robust orchestra (6.6.4.4.2) which allows for a strong bass, appreciated by dancers today and no doubt then as well.

Tracklist:
1-1. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Overture. Adagio – Allegro – Musette – Menuet (06:09)
1-2. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Il ballo. Gavotte – Sarabande – Menuet (05:20)
1-3. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Sinfonia – Entrée – Tamburino (04:48)
1-4. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Entrée de songes funestes – Le combat (06:13)
1-5. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Ouverture. Adagio – Allegro – Alla gavotta (05:29)
1-6. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Sinfonia pastorale – Ballo. Gavottes – Musette I – Musette II – Allegro (07:55)
1-7. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Rondeau I – Rondeau II – Finale (04:15)
1-8. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Pour les Chasseurs I & II (05:43)

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