Les Arts Florissants sparkle in Handel: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato — review

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During the Great Frost of 1740, while the Thames froze, Handel was not idle. As though to shut the winter out of his mind, he wrote one of his sunniest works, the delightful L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.

Neither an opera nor an oratorio, L’Allegro is an adaptation of two poems by John Milton, with a short third part added by Handel’s librettist, Charles Jennens. As always when he was setting English texts, Handel responded with some of his most imaginative and colourful music.

Many changes were made to the score in Handel’s lifetime, so there is no definitive text. Completists might prefer to hear numbers not included here, such as “Far from all resort of mirth” in part one or “Sometimes let gorgeous tragedy” in part two, but the zest of the performance is ample compensation.

Above all, this is brilliantly pictorial music. Tenor James Way is infectious in his laughing number and soprano Rachel Redmond is joined by a veritable aviary of woodwind twittering through “Sweet Bird”. Even more novel are the tinkling bells (Handel is believed to have used something similar) that accompany “Or Let The Merry Bells Ring Round”, skilfully sung by young treble Leo Jemison.

Conductor and founder William Christie is generous to his instrumentalists, so organ, flute, horn and cello all get their moment in the spotlight. Add a fine bass, Sreten Manojlović, to the vocal quartet and sparkling choral singing and playing from Les Arts Florissants and this L’Allegro casts its happy spell.

★★★★☆

‘Handel: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato’ is released by Harmonia Mundi