Ultimate Handel

Handel is my favorite composer and this is a great value! You get Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and Messiah, plus organ works and others.

I'm not a classical music expert, but from this position, I can say that I enjoyed very much the Essential's boxes collection. The Ultimate Haendel is not the first I"ve bought and it won't be the last.

Nice to have more Handel! Thank you!

How could one not love Handel? And this collection is right on. I have it in my car stereo and it makes traffic bearable.

Very good. A gift.

I love Handel! I start listening to classical music with Handel. Water Music alway my favorite. But this Ultimate Handel ... such a disappointment. All 5 CDs were disaster!!! The sound so horrible. Unbelievable! how can DECCA let this box set pass the quality control. Totally destroy the masterpiece of Handel. I am extremely upset. Shame, Shame, Shame.

instrumental and choral music, though one may desire to double Messiah entries. This Mariner version is one of the best I think (with Karl Richter's DG English version), led by Elly Ameling. About 1/3 of the oratorio is represented, more than bleeding chunks. Also 5 star worthy: the opus 3 concerti Grossi conducted very well byRaymond Leppard. The opus 3s are slightly less treasurable than the opus 6 CGs, but still delightful and scintillating -and Leppard has also recorded the opus 6 elsewhere. A few Organ Concerti played by Daniel Chorzempaand conducted by Jaap Schroeder are imposing and impressive. The selections on these discs mostly avoid/antedateHIP orthodoxy. One can hear none in the Royal Fireworks and Water Music with the Stuttgart CO conductedvigorously by its founder Karl Munchinger (my first Brandenburgs were his). Nothing drags in either performance.The exultant Coronation Anthems appear with the Foundling Hospital Anthem and the Birthday Ode for Queen Anne.What to purchase next? How about a complete opus 6 with Leppard or Karl Richter, a complete Messiah also withMarriner of Richter as mentioned above, some keyboard Suites with Sviatoslav Richter, an opera and another oratorio. How about the Mackerras/Archiv Judas Maccabeus with Janet Baker et al and either Julius Caesar or Ariodante, and/or the shorter but not inferior Acis and Galatea.

What a marvellous set of CD's! This is far from mere budget music. The performances are brilliant (I am not kidding - the organ concerto's are actually first class, the Coronation Anthems are grand and spacious in their treatment, and the Op.3 Concerti crisp...just divine). Any 'General Classical' music fan, any Baroque music fan...any HANDEL fan would be CRAZY to give these a miss. And at this price??! Maybe I might be a slice short of a loaf of bread, but selling this particular collection THIS cheaply...I'd wager someone at DECCA is missing a few more! Having this music at your fingertips to enjoy over and over, music from the true master of melody, that genius of splendour and dignity - you absolutely cannot go wrong.