Queen Caroline was an emblematic female figure of the eighteenth
century. The wife of King George II of England, Caroline of Ansbach was a
woman of great beauty, a supporter of the arts and sciences, and also a
friend and protector of Handel.
It was Handel who was commissioned to compose the
ceremonial music that accompanied her reign—“The King Shall Rejoice”
played at her and George’s coronation, the “Queen Caroline” Te Deum,
written for her arrival in England, and also “The Ways of Zion do
Mourn,” composed for her funeral.
In this recording which, for the first time, brings
together these three works illustrating the very strong link between the
queen and her chosen artist, the choir and orchestra of Les Arts
Florissants, whose ranks were enlarged for the occasion, bring back to
life music that is at once flamboyant and poignantly human.
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario