The Triumph of Time and Truth was Handel's first oratorio and, at least in some sense, his last. It started life in 1707 as Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno and was revised twice, the first time in 1737 and finally, in 1757, with a new English text. The work, with its dour text about how getting religion because the ravages of time inevitably defeat beauty and pleasure, and its cast consisting entirely of allegorical, abstract characters, has never been one of Handel's more popular works, and by 1757, with lighter ...
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The Triumph of Time and Truth was Handel's first oratorio and, at least in some sense, his last. It started life in 1707 as Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno and was revised twice, the first time in 1737 and finally, in 1757, with a new English text. The work, with its dour text about how getting religion because the ravages of time inevitably defeat beauty and pleasure, and its cast consisting entirely of allegorical, abstract characters, has never been one of Handel's more popular works, and by 1757, with lighter currents in the air even in Britain, it was out of style. However, it receives possibly the best argument in its favor here from the Scots group Ludus Baroque. Although the players use historical instruments, this may well be a reading to warm the heart of old-school listeners who miss the days of big symphony orchestras accompanying Handel choirs on risers. The Ludus Baroque choir numbers only 19 and the violin section six, but the singers produce a full-throated, rich sound that makes...
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