George Frideric Handel - Ode For St Cecilia's Day

Published Wednesday 1st September 2004
George Frideric Handel - Ode For St Cecilia's Day
George Frideric Handel - Ode For St Cecilia's Day

STYLE: Choral
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 9933-
LABEL: Naxos 8.554752
FORMAT: CD Album
RRP: £4.99

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

John Dryden wrote his 'Ode For St Cecilia's Day' in 1687, when Handel was still a toddler back in Germany. By the time he came to write this music in 1739 Handel was reaching his peak, with 'The Messiah' to follow within two years. Handel incorporates a variety of colourful instrumental effects in vivid illustration of the text. The final air and chorus, "As From The Powers Of Sacred Lays" is one of the composer's finest and celebrates the glory of music itself. The soprano soloist Dorothee Mields is excellent. Any listener who enjoys Handel but has yet to hear this Ode is in for a treat and those of you who are still unsure would find this a good introduction to a great composer. The words are in English and there are few recitatives that some find off-putting. However it is niggardly to object when the price is a more than generous £4.99.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.

NAVIGATION
CONNECT WITH CROSS RHYTHMS
SIGNUP

Connect with Cross Rhythms by signing up to our email mailing list

A Step Change...
Cross Rhythms Media Training Centre
MORE ARTICLES
DISCOGRAPHY
ARTIST PROFILES
Artists & DJs A-Z
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
Or keyword search

 

PRAYER ROOMS
Dedication Room
Live on the edge and shout what you believe in our Dedication Room