Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert - Handel: Overtures (1986)

These overtures or instrumental introductions to operas, oratorios, cantatas, and anthems are a grand collection. The use of the bassoon and oboe on many of the selections balanced the violins and organ. The organ is integrated into several of the movements of these overtures in a complementary way, never become the primary focus except in the Act 1 Sinfonia for Saul in the organ solo and then later in the Second Act Sinfonia, the Wedding Symphony, where it is playful and is perfectly complimented by the more stately strings and oboes, which seemed to me to be a reversal of musical roles. The Wedding Symphony prepares the audience for the marriage of David to Michal. The overture from Alceste with surprising flourishes from the trumpet is a wise opening movement, since it is full of energy. The piece was meant to be the opening movement for a masque, usually based on a mythological or allegorical theme. The overture from Agrippina is sublime with an emphasis on the oboe and violin. The longest overture on the CD was the 5 movement overture to Il pastor fido. The 5 movements of the Il pastor fido alternate between slower tempo and dance forms. Actually the selections contain some surprises that demonstrate Handel's virtuosity and experimentation, his complexity and structural abilities.