Artist: Dunedin Consort, John Butt Title: George Frideric Handel: Esther HWV 50a Year Of Release: 2012 Label: LINN Records [CKD 397] Genre: Classical Music Quality: FLAC (tracks) [24Bit/96kHz] Total Time: 01:39:38 Total Size: 2,01 GB Named the 11th Greatest Choir by Gramophone, the Dunedin Consort has established a reputation as the finest single-part period performance choir currently performing. The Dunedin Consort's highly anticipated new recording of Esther is the third recording in its hugely successful Handel series. The Consort has set the bar high for this Handel performance with a Gramophone Award in 2007 for Messiah and a BBC Radio 3 ‘Building a Library' First Choice accolade for Acis and Galatea. For Esther, director John Butt has reunited his award-winning team of soloists, Susan Hamilton, Nicholas Mulroy, Matthew Brook and Thomas Hobbs, plus well-known guest soloists Robin Blaze and James Gilchrist. Tracklist: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Esther HWV50a 01 Act 1 Overture Movement 1: Andante [1'58] 02 Act 1 Overture Movement 2: Larghetto [2'35] 03 Act 1 Overture Movement 3: Allegro [2'27] 04 Act 1 Scene 1 No 1, Recitative: 'Tis greater far to spare, than to destroy (Habdonah/Haman) [0'41] 05 Act 1 Scene 1 No 2, Air: Pluck root and branch from out the land (Haman) [1'59] 06 Act 1 Scene 1 No 3, Recitative: Our souls with ardour glow (Officer) [0'07] 07 Act 1 Scene 1 No 4, Chorus: Shall we the God of Israel fear? [1'51] 08 Act 1 Scene 2 No 1, Recitative: Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod (1st Israelite) [0'16] 09 Act 1 Scene 2 No 2, Air: Tune your harps to cheerful strains (1st Israelite) [4'21] 10 Act 2 Scene 2 No 3, Chorus: Shall we of servitude complain? [1'24] 11 Act 2 Scene 2 No 4, Recitative: O God, who from the suckling's mouth (Israelite Boy) [0'16] 12 Act 1 Scene 2 No 5, Air: Praise the Lord with cheerful noise (Israelite Boy) [5'38] 13 Act 1 Scene 2 No 6, Chorus: Shall we of servitude complain? [1'24] 14 Act 1 Scene 3 No 1, Recitative: How have our sins provok'd the Lord! (Priest of the Israelites) [1'05] 15 Act 1 Scene 3 No 2, Chorus: Ye sons of Israel mourn [1'52] 16 Act 1 Scene 3 No 3, Air: O Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide (Priest of the Israelites) [7'42] 17 Act 1 Scene 3 No 4, Chorus: Ye sons of Israel mourn [2'01] 18 Act 2 Scene 1 No 1, Recitative: Why sits that sorrow on thy brow? (Esther/Mordecai) [1'02] 19 Act 2 Scene 1 No 2: Dread not, righteous Queen, the danger (Mordecai) [4'25] 20 Act 2 Scene 1 No 3, Recitative: I go before the King to stand (Esther) [0'13] 21 Act 2 Scene 1 No 4, Air: Tears assist me, pity moving (Esther) [2'50] 22 Act 2 Scene 1 No 5, Chorus: Save us, O Lord [1'27] 23 Act 2 Scene 2 No 1, Recitative: Who dares intrude into our presence without our leave? (Assuerus/Esther) [1'09] 24 Act 2 Scene 2 No 2, Duet: Who calls my parting soul from death? (Esther/Assuerus) [2'46] 25 Act 2 Scene 2 No 3, Air: O beauteous Queen, unclose those eyes! (Assuerus) [7'18] 26 Act 2 Scene 2 No 4, Recitative: If I find favour in thy sight (Esther) [0'20] 27 Act 2 Scene 2 No 5, Air: How can I stay, when love invites? (Assuerus) [3'09] 28 Act 2 Scene 3 No, Recitative: With inward joy his visage grows (1st Israelite/2nd Israelite) [0'16] 29 Act 2 Scene 3 No 2, Chorus: Virtue, truth, and innocence [2'43] 30 Act 3 Scene 1 No 1, Air: Jehovah crown'd with glory bright (Priest of the Israelites) [1'58] 31 Act 3 Scene 1 No 2, Chorus: He comes, he comes to end our woes [4'17] 32 Act 3 Scene 2 No 1, Recitative: Now, O Queen, thy suit declare (Assuerus/Esther) [1'38] 33 Act 3 Scene 2 No 2, Accompagnato: Turn not, O Queen, thy face away (Haman) [2'36] 34 Act 3 Scene 2 No 3, Air: Flatt'ring tongue, no more I hear thee! (Esther) [4'52] 35 Act 3 Scene 2 No 4, Recitative: Guards, seize the traitor, bear him hence! (Assuerus) [0'40] 36 Act 3 Scene 2 No 5, Air: How art thou fall'n from thy height! (Haman) [6'10] 37 Act 3 Scene 3, Chorus with soli: The Lord our enemy has slain [11'57] ****************************** Dunedin Consort John Butt, conductor Ashley Turnell, tenor Electra Lochhead, soprano Robin Blaze, countertenor Susan Hamilton, soprano Nicholas Mulroy, tenor Matthew Brook, bass Robert Davies, bass James Gilchrist, tenor Thomas Hobbs, tenor