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February 2009 | by: Michael Tanner | Comments (0)

Double the pleasure

Handel
Wigmore Hall

Die tote Stadt
Royal Opera House

The Wigmore Hall last Saturday afternoon and evening was a scene of sheer delight, with Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo being performed before tea, and Acis and Galatea in the evening. It was all masterminded by Paul McCreesh, with his Gabrieli Consort and Players, and a uniformly fine set of soloists, who also constituted the chorus. The Gabrieli Consort, which I unfortunately very rarely have cause to encounter in the pursuit of duty, is a wonderful early-instrument group, characterised by extraordinary sweetness of tone, and by an expressiveness which would be regarded as quaint if it didn’t emerge from the right kind of instruments. Even hearing them tune up is a pleasure — in fact I half-thought they had launched into the Overture to Agrippina, which was used as the opening to the first piece, when they were still awaiting the arrival of the towering McCreesh and the soloists.

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