The German-born English transplant Johann Christoph Pepusch was an older contemporary and colleague of George Frederick Handel, and he is best remembered for arranging the music of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. His involvement in London's music scene also led him to compose his own works for the stage, such as the masque Venus and Adonis, a vehicle for two of the leading sopranos of the day, Jane Barbier and Margarita de L'Epine. This recording by The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen, led by Robert Rawson, is ...
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The German-born English transplant Johann Christoph Pepusch was an older contemporary and colleague of George Frederick Handel, and he is best remembered for arranging the music of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. His involvement in London's music scene also led him to compose his own works for the stage, such as the masque Venus and Adonis, a vehicle for two of the leading sopranos of the day, Jane Barbier and Margarita de L'Epine. This recording by The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen, led by Robert Rawson, is a period re-creation of Pepusch's 1715 work, and fans of Handel's buoyant operas will find many stylistic similarities in this performance, from the lively writing for the small but energetic orchestra, and the ornate vocal lines, to the joyous tone of the music. Especially delightful is the cast -- Ciara Hendrick as Venus, Philippa Hyde as Adonis, and Richard Edgar-Wilson as Mars -- who deliver their recitatives and arias with great panache and such clear enunciation that the...
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