Presto Classical Recording of the Week

Robert Murray, Cody Quattlebaum, Elizabeth Watts, Ruby Hughes, Tim Mead, Gwilym Bowen, Nicky Spence

Academy of Ancient Music, Richard Egarr

This release celebrates the 300th anniversary of Handel's great Brockes-Passion: a long-neglected masterpiece by this most brilliant composer. Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music are joined by a stellar line-up of soloists in this recording, the culmination of two years of scholarly research. To create its new edition of the score (Handel's original being long-lost), the Academy of Ancient Music assembled a team of scholars and musicologists from the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King's College London and more, to work alongside Music Director Richard Egarr and editor Leo Duarte. Consulting 15 manuscript sources from 11 collections in 5 countries, they have produced the most substantial edition of this work yet, including as appendices extra movements and Charles Jennens' partial English translation in their world premiere recordings. A deluxe 220-page album booklet accompanies this release, featuring new contemporary artworks inspired by Handel's Brockes-Passion, full notes, the first contemporary publication of the original Kurrentschrift text alongside the modern German libretto and a brand new English translation, several additional articles, details of other composer's take on Brockes' visceral libretto, and much more. This album is perhaps the most definitive guide to this astonishing work yet published. Soprano Elizabeth Watts takes the limelight as the Daughter of Zion, with tenor Robert Murray and bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum as Evangelist and Christ respectively. They are joined by Tim Mead as Judas, Gwilym Bowen as Peter, and Ruby Hughes, Rachael Lloyd, Nicky Spence and Morgan Pearse as Faithful Souls, amongst others. The Academy of Ancient Music, and the Choir of AAM, recorded this new release around a 300th anniversary performance on Good Friday 2019 at London's Barbican Hall. The Academy of Ancient Music's exploration and re-discovery of Handel's Brockes-Passion has been a fascinating journey of discovery that is only the beginning, in the modern era, for this major work of Handel's. "A gruesomely graphic work to break Bach's monopoly" (Financial Times)

"The recording uses a new performing edition of the score by oboist and musicologist Leo Duarte (who along with leader Bojan Čičić also contributes some ravishing obbligatos)...If Bach lays the narrative burden squarely on the shoulders of his Evangelists, Handel and Brockes present it from all angles...The young tenor Gwilym Bowen, as Peter, emerges as one of the most exciting voices on the set; the other stand-out new voice here is American bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum as a very human Jesus." -Katherine Cooper, Presto Classical, 4th October 2019.