Handel: L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55

You probably haven’t ever heard this extraordinary bit of Handelian theatre, a sort of cross between ode and oratorio. Apparently—and inexplicably—it’s only had one new recording in more than a decade, until this captivating newcomer, whose presence all but eliminates the need for the four or five previous entries. For one thing, the music exemplifies all that we love about Handel—including a virtual feast of marvelous tunes, dramatic arias, and snazzy, sonorous choruses. But then there’s the orchestration, the ingenious conceptualization of the texts relative to their context and meaning, the right and satisfying harmonies, the instinctive alignment of aria to voice part (and to singer), the catchy fugal ideas—and those choruses, which although not nearly so frequent or substantial as in the oratorios, nevertheless are as delightful to sing and eminently pleasing to the ear as in any of Handel’s works. Handel had the advantage here of having some first-rate poetic material to work