Ron Chaplin wrote:

>A few weeks ago, I the collection of Handel's oratorios on Brilliant The
>other works are Solomon, Semele and Thedora.  ...

I wrote about this collection before.  For me it was highly variable.
Judas and Solomon are I think the most successful in the set.
Nevertheless as you identify it is a bargain.

>One thing I don't understand about the recording is having a contralto,
>Helen Watts, sing the role of Israelite Man.  Was this customary during
>Handel's time? Why not have a tenor sing the role? ...

This is one of the reasons I wrote the other day about the
castralto/falsetto question.  Personally I prefer a man to a woman in
this role whether he has all his faculties or not.

Bob Draper
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