G.F. Handel: Overtures from his Operas

When with the first of the Georges, the English Crown fell by descent to the House of Hanover, Handel went to England with George I, where he remained for the rest of his life. Though he composed some harpsichord suites, orchestral works, and the very beautiful Chandos Anthems (all of which can be found in our catalogue), his real love was Opera, not just the genre, but the whole world of audience reaction, star performers (he imported fashionable singers from Italy), the stage, the settings, the promotion, and the challenge of inciting and maintaining the interest of a fickle public audience.

On this disc we have selected some of Handel's very best Opera Overtures. These were introductory pieces, designed both to settle the audiences and to set the mood of the stage work to follow; thus there is considerable musical variety, though most begin with a flamboyant 'French Style" Overture, often accompanied by a Fugue.

The variety and drama of these Overtures make this a programme you can listen to with pleasure from start to finish.