CLASSICAL MUSIC SENTINEL:
In 1924, Ernest Walker published a text book titled A History of Music in England , in which he wrote: "The great bulk of Handel's instrumental music is mere jog-trot solid conventionalism of the kind that could apparently be reeled off ad infinitum, and virtually destitute of any invention worth the name." A somewhat misguided exaggeration painted with a wide brush, which most likely came about from direct comparison of George Frideric Handel 's music with that of his exact contemporary, Johann Sebastian Bach. The problem lies in the fact that you can't compare the two. They viewed and tackled the art of making music in two dramatically different ways. Bach is the poster boy of stoic German art, centered around the choir loft and the organ console. Music meant to inspire, to further enhance man's ascension towards God, and to establish new inroads within the creation of music itself. His music is a profound and personal statement of his art. He was always searching for music's deep dark hidden meaning. Handel on the other hand, the German who settled in England after travelling the world, was an extrovert who viewed music more as a pleasure meant to entertain, and not meant to arouse deep reflection. No complex counterpoint, no harmonic ambiguities, no obscure hidden messages anywhere within his music. Whereas Bach's harmonic structure and development was always along a horizontal line, Handel's was mostly vertical, in other words chordal rather than contrapuntal.

Notice right away the basic keys in which these Suites for Harpsichord were written. No distant keys like F-sharp minor for example anywhere in sight. These were simply written to educate and challenge the interpreter, and to merge together the Italian, French and English styles that were popular at the time. Handel's music for keyboard was an amalgam of for example, Scarlatti, Lully and Purcell. Straightforward, highly ornamented and driven more by variation than by counterpoint.

That is the approach and interpretation taken here by Scottish harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland , whose many Naxos recordings of music by Soler and Rameau have been very well received. The playing is lively, spirited and devoid of any mechanical delivery that renders so many harpsichord recordings unenjoyable. The segments in the minor modes are given the right touch of sobriety and darker color. The phrasing is always shaped and well manipulated to reinforce the melody and forward momentum of each piece. Rowland's fluid and well accented fingering never allows the music to settle into repetitive tedium, but instead seems to give repeated lines a slightly different inflection. After all, these are dance movements that make up these suites, and Rowland seems to give each one a different flex of the knee, a wider step, a deeper bow. You can almost smell the powdered wigs. There is no mention in the booklet notes as to which harpsichord was used for this recording, but it is probably a Ruckers-Taskin late 18th century model, with enough variety in stops to alter its sound to fit the music's character. All very well reproduced in this fine Divine Art recording.
Jean-Yves Duperron

HARPSICHORD AND FORTEPIANO:
As we know from his extensive traversal of the keyboard works of Domenico Scarlatti and Soler, Gilbert Rowland is not a man to do things by halves. As the rubic ‘Volume 1' suggests, his recording of the Handel harpsichord suites is obviously going to take us beyond the familiar sets published in London in 1720 and 1733, this one including two early works (HWV 454 and 443) almost certainly composed before Handel left Germany for Italy in 1707. HWV 443 is indeed something of a rarity on record, a six-movements work that opens with a Präludium clearly modeled on the north German organ prelude and fugue of composers such as Buxtehude and concluding with a Chaconne followed by no less than 49 brief variations.

Rowland plays the programme on a regrettably unidentified harpsichord, though I suspect it to be the double manual instrument featured in the photo of the performer on the back cover of the booklet. It is attractively toned, with an agreeably mellow upper range and powerful capabilities in the bass. The changes in registration employed for repeats seem to me sensible and rarely obtrusive. Rather more contentious is Rowland's addition of ornamentation, which in repeats is, to say the least, lavish and not always stylish. Such matters are of course a matter of taste, but here I feel the decoration at times obscures the musical sense. An example is the thoughtful opening Allemande of HWV 438, one of the gems of the 1720 collection, where the contemplative beauty of the music is disturbed by Rowland's embellishments. I would question, too, the addition of further ornamentation to the initial statement of the opening strain of the Sarabande in HWV 429.

While I have no idea in which order Rowland recorded the Suites, I found my enjoyment of his playing for some reason increased as the set progressed. In the opening Prelude of HWV 428 there is want of expansiveness, while the succeeding fugal Allegro is rather stiff and formal. There is in fact throughout the set a degree of rhythmic inflexibility and want of nuance.

Yet there are many fine things, too. The toccata-like Gigue that concludes HWV 439 is splendidly projected, while in the delightful seven-movement G Major Suite, HWV 441 (another early work, despite being included in the 1733 publication), Rowland relaxes to encompass the lighter mood of a work that I suspect may originally have had a didactic function. Both HWV 429 and 439 (respectively the fourth and fifth suites of the 1720 publication) go well, with the superb fugal Allegro that opens the former played with a masterly grasp of contrapuntal complexities. The succeeding Allemande breathes an aura of mature tranquility, while the corresponding movement of the E Major Suite has an airy grace and poetic sense not always apparent elsewhere.

The final Air and Variations (the so-called ‘Harmonious Blacksmith') are not only played with virtuosic assurance, but also introduce a nice suggestion of humour.

While not to my mind without their questionable features, these are always honest, musical performances that are likely to provide much pleasure.
Brian Robins

AMAZON:
The majority of Handel's harpsichord suites date from when he was in his 20's and 30's.Generally speaking they are compared rather unfavourably to Bach's largely because they lack the counterpoint that Bach esteemed so much and therefore appear less serious. Handel was of course a master of simple melody rather than counterpoint and this is where he shines brightest in his compositions. Although best known for his magnificent orchestral and vocal music, Handel's harpsichord works still offer plenty of listening enjoyment when they are performed tastefully and with respect. This is exactly what Gilbert Rowland has done in this first volume of a complete recording of all the harpsichord suites. I have heard no other performer bring such a sense of grandeur and weight to Handel's suites combined with authentic tempo's that feel just right. It's very clear that Gilbert Rowland has a thorough knowledge of Baroque practice and if this first installment is anything to go by then i eagerly await the arrival of volume 2.

In a nutshell, if you want to hear Handel's harpsichord music played as authentically as possible by a true professional who understands how to interpret Baroque music properly then look no further.
“r.b.”

THE CONSORT:
The two-CD set is the first volume of what will presumably be a series of recordings of the 25 or so keyboard suites for harpsichord by Handel, who published only two collections of such pieces. Firstly in 1720 he published the set of eight so-called Great Suites that are heard and recorded frequently, and a further collection entitled Suite de pieces pour le clavecin was published by Walsh 1733. The nine ‘suites' contained in this print are a most random selection of works including a Chaconne, and a Prelude and Chaconne. Other suites in the set lack some of the movements associated with the genre: no. 1, for example, consists of a prelude, sonata, aria with variations and a minuet in the relative minor. Further suites were left in manuscript form, probably written for pupils; some of these works are quite substantial, but are heard only rarely.

Recorded at Holy Trinity Church, Weston, Hertfordshire, each of the two CDs reviewed here contains four suites. The first CD opens with the Suite in D minor, the third of the 1720 set. Our attention is grasped right from the start with the demanding virtuoso prelude that utilises the full compass of the keyboard, making much use of arpeggiated figures. The following Allegro fugue is well-ornamented, as are the stylised Allemande and Courante. The extremely ornate embellishments printed in the Aria contrast well with the increasingly virtuosic variations, the concluding Presto being played with much panache, but not so fast that the contrast between the full chords and the two-voice texture is blurred and lost.

This is followed by the Manuscript Suite in A, HWV454, with the standard four movements of allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, each movement being Italianate in style. It is probably an early work: the ternary-form sarabande in particular owes much to Italian vocal style, while the gigue recalls Italian string compositions, with its imitations of double stopping, here taken at a brisk but not over-fast pace. The short suite in E minor HWV438, containing only an allemande (which is here played with a subtle application of inégalité), sarabande and gigue, is taken from the 1733 collection; the tempo chosen for the sarabande makes it sound closer to a courante. The brilliant gigue in 24/16 contains its own written-out repeats, and is played at a rapid pace.

The far more substantial Suite in C, HWV443, opens with a präludium which, after some fiery scales and sequential passagework, is followed by a fugue, and the traditional four dances, all played at a leisurely pace which allows Gilbert Rowland to bring out the ‘part' writing. The suite concludes with an eight-bar chaconne on a standard harmonic progression also used by Pachelbel, with no fewer than 49 variations (although none of them is repeated in this recording). The tempo slows considerably for the highly chromatic variations 36-40 and then picks up again most effectively.

The second CD opens with the suite in G minor HWV439 from the 1733 print, the allemande and courante here given an appropriately improvisatory feel; the sarabande (also found in a revised form in the 1720 collection) is played with great sensuality and the moto perpetuo gigue is performed at a pace sufficient to give the listener the feeling of a tour de force, without being overwhelming. This is followed by the seven-movement suite in G, HWV441, also taken from the 1733 print, which consists of an allemande, an allegro that is basically a variation of the allemande, courante, aria presto, a ritornello menuetto in 3/8 and a lively gavotte with double, both in rondo form, before the suite concludes with the gigue.

The imposing suite in E minor HWV429 follows, taken from the set of 1720, with the opening fugue being taken at a much faster tempo than some performances, but it does just succeed. The remaining four traditional dances are played at a more leisurely tempo that brings out their subdued nature and lush harmonies. The CD closes with a solid performance of the suite in E major HWV430, also from the 1720 set, which concludes with the well-known air and variations known as The Harmonious Blacksmith.

The standard of playing is very high indeed, with some crisp articulation, appropriately added ornamentation in the repeats and a subtly convincing application of inégalité. The generally well-chosen tempi show an understanding of the architecture of each movement. Gilbert Rowland has written some informative notes on each suite and there is a brief biography of his studies and career, but regrettably there is no information about the instrument used. With a considerable variety offered by the pieces included, this is a most enjoyable recording. I look forward to future CDs in the series, so that we can hear more of the lesser-known and rarely recorded suites.
John Collins

AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE:
Rowland is an evenhanded and intelligent player. His ornaments are always tasteful, but it is his changes of texture that add interest and variety. Since such changes are not notated, the harpsichordist is charged with improvising them. Most often they involve moving between a dry and wet sound, or combining those two sounds to bring out one voice over the other. Rowland makes some fascinating choices that are not typical. He is not afraid to play dry arpeggios. Often the default sound on harpsichord is sustained with all notes sounding in a chord. He also seems to take delight in the sticky finger-twister fugues; although we know from the sounds he is making that it is not easy, it is not unpleasant either. Lovers of Handel's music will appreciate Rowland's commitment to the rich musical world of these suites.
Katz

INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW:
British harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland has been something of a nomad when it comes to presenting himself on CD. He has issued discs on the Nimbus and London Independent labels, as well as on Naxos, but this is his first for Divine Art. It is unlikely to be his last as it is styled as ‘Volume 1' of a projected series encompassing Handel's Harpsichord Suites, and with at least another 16 Suites to go, there should be plenty more where this came from.

Not only the performances, but the booklet notes and the recording itself, are the work of Rowland; and while the last two of those are perfectly acceptable, they are not elements which are going to provide an unassailable reason for purchasing this release. The recorded sound is a little too full-fronted for my taste; a harpsichord, more than any other instrument, can quickly irritate when it's shoved too much into your face. As for Rowland's notes, these are succinct to the point of aridity; it would be nice, for example, if he were to offer some suggestion as to why the finale of HWV430 has acquired the nickname of ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith'. We are merely presented with that unarguable fact and then down the terse path of a performer's eye view of the music; there is nothing here which offers up any worthwhile insight into this fascinating and much underrated area of the repertoire. Luckily this dry approach has not fed into his actual performances, which are delivered with great relish.

There are two way to tackle Handel's Harpsichord Suites. You can treat them as significant historical works and present them in a solemn and academic atmosphere, or you can attempt to relive the extreme virtuosity and panache with which contemporary reports suggest Handel performed on the instrument. Rowland heads mostly in this latter direction, resulting in performance of considerable verve and vitality, although always keeping any hint of flashy display or impetuosity at arm's length. My only regret is that he seems a little too carefully prepared and polished; how one yearns in such moments as the Courante of HWV439 for a little more spontaneity, especially in matters of ornamentation.

Nevertheless, Rowland sets the scene marvellously with an exuberant account of the opening Prelude of HWV428, a movement he clearly finds so exciting that even in his booklet notes he allows himself a daring venture into the realms of personal opinion, describing the movement as ‘flamboyant'. Flamboyance is what we get here in lavish abundance; if anything, the same Suite's closing Presto is even more flamboyant, the harpsichord's octave couplers all given a thorough workout to give a gloriously robust and fulsome sound. He gives us plenty of colour, and in the fifth movement variations offers up a nice little touch of intimacy by repeating the phrases on a second manual with delightful quietude after the torrents of semiquavers that have flowed fountain-like from his tireless fingers. Unfortunately, we are given no information at all about harpsichord in the booklet notes.

Handel published two collections of Harpsichord Suites in London, a set of ‘Eight Great Suites' (HWV426-33) in 1720 and a further collection described as a ‘Second Volume' of Suites de Pièces 1733. This latter volume contained nine pieces, of which Rowland suggests only six are genuine Suites. On top of that, there are several miscellaneous Suites mostly dating from before Handel's time in London. Rowland has selected his programme from all three sources but made no attempt to present them in any kind of chronological sequence. Some of the Suites happily reveal their dance-like antecedents, and in these-notably HWV441- he clearly relishes the opportunities for lively display, offering up some particularly crisp and almost mechanically precise articulation. In other Suites, however, the music has a more absolute feel to it, and here Rowland unbends a little, allowing the strict rhythmic momentum to mellow a little (there's a lovely example of this in the Prelude of HWV430). He's at his sparkling best in the sets of variations where his deft handling of the instrument and his clear-sighted and purposeful delivery maintain a strong feeling of cohesion.
Marc Rochester

GRAMOPHONE:
The two books of harpsichord suites published during Handel's lifetime, in 1720 and 1733, appeared in London, from the pen of a German composer, with a French heading: Suites de pieces pour le clavecin. They are some of the composer's most polyglot works, though if one inspiration informs them more than any other it's that of Jean-Phillippe Rameau.

After an impressive cycle of the sonatas of Antonio Soler on Naxos, harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland offers a double-disc set of suites drawn from both books, as well as two from the Miscellaneous Suites which probably date from before the composer's London years. Rowland's Soler was robust and unapologetically virtuoso. His Handel is similarly scaled and brightly rendered, though stately and sometimes rhythmically inflexible. His tempi tend to be slow, as in the Allemande of the G major Suite from 1733. He compensates for the rather deliberate unfolding of the music by loading it, at times, with quite florid ornamentation. The effect is more Rococo than improvisatory.

The instrument is not listed in the booklet, but it has a lovely upper manual, with a sweet, nasal twang. The recording captures the sonic richness of this manual far more charismatically than the larger sounds Rowland's harpsichord is capable of producing. If Rowland ‘s repeat sections are filled with the characteristically crackling ornaments, they are also more likely than not played on this upper manual and the effect is appealingly more intimate.

Since Scott Ross's traversal of the suites more than a quarter of a century ago, the most inspired readings have come from Sophie Yates (Chandos), where the Gallic flavor is pronounced, even to the point of slightly suggesting inégalité where Handel writes even semiquavers. Rowland's approach is markedly different, more Germanic, more methodical, and not nearly so interesting or enticing.
Phillip Kennicott

FANFARE:
This two-CD set is titled Suites for Harpsichord, Vol. 1, and promises to bring together not only the Eight Great Suites of 1720, but also the collections of suites published in 1733 and 1739, as well as numerous miscellaneous suites, about 25 in all. Also planned for inclusion are various isolated pieces, such as fugues, chaconnes, fantasias, and individual dance movements. There are many excellent versions of the Eight Great to choose from on CD, but 1 know of only one other collection as comprehensive as this one: the four-CD set on the Brilliant Classics label with Michael Borgstede, which I have not heard.

Gilbert Rowland is a Scottish-born harpsichordist who has never acted in the movies, to the best of my knowledge, and who has to his credit a complete recording of the harpsichord sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler (Naxos). His renditions of Handel compare favorably with some of the greats of the distant and not-so-distant past: Dart, Tilney, Gilbert, Ross, Yates, Kipnis, Pinnock, and Vinikour. Rowland's playing leans toward the big-boned and virtuosic; examples of this can be found in the imposing prelude to the D-Minor suite, the Bach-like praludium to the C-Major Suite, or the grand Allegro to the E-Minor suite, HWV 429. But he can exercise restraint where needed: His saraban- des are subdued and tender, his gigues suitably jaunty without sounding frantic. Rowland's perfor­ mance of the concluding movement of the E-Major Suite, the Air and Variations (known since Handel's time as "The Harmonious Blacksmith"), is as fine as any I've heard.

Unfortunately, there is one tiny factor that precludes an unqualified endorsement from me: the choice of harpsichord. The make of instrument is not specified in the booklet; that alone causes me to wonder, since harpsichordists are usually as persnickety about —and proud of—their brand of harpsichord as race drivers are about their cars. A bit of research on the Internet revealed the fact that Rowland usually plays a Taskin copy, but the instrument recorded here doesn't sound quite like the typical Taskin. It has a hard, metallic, aggressive treble that departs significantly from the singing treble of late 18th-century French harpsichords. Coupled with the disagreeable treble are bass and tenor registers (roughly F to c') that lack the usual warmth and fullness of a Taskin. The instrument does have a solid low-bass register (below F), but since Handel seldom asks for notes in that region, the overall effect is one of brightness and clangor. It was a chore to get through this set, and as you can imagine, that's pretty much the kiss of death for any harpsichord recording. Despite the fine playing and the promise of a "complete" recording of Handel's harpsichord music, I cannot bring myself to recommend this release.
Christopher Brodersen

MUSICWEB:
Since I included a shorter version of this review in my May 2011/1 Download Roundup, I've been practising some of these Suites myself, with so little success that my admiration for both recordings has increased considerably. If, as seems the case, Handel intended these works as practice material for students, he clearly expected a great deal more than my fingers are currently able to produce on returning to the keyboard after a very long interval.

Though these two sets don't cover exactly the same material, since Rowland's programme includes only three of the ‘Great' Suites from ‘Set 1' HWV428, 429 and 430 – presumably, the others will appear in subsequent volumes – there is enough common ground for me to consider them together. They do, however, share some sloppy booklet and insert proof-reading which makes HWV428 three minutes long from Cummings and an equally unlikely 43 minutes from Rowland. I've given the correct, much closer, figures above.

I've listened to some other harpsichord recordings of these suites but left out consideration of alternative recordings on the modern piano, since my clear preference is for Handel on the harpsichord, despite the merits of the playing of the likes of Gavrilov and Richter on EMI Gemini.

I can't pretend that the new CDs are the most exciting product of the Handel anniversary year and its aftermath, but each represents a welcome addition to the catalogue. Apart from the chief competitor, Paul Nicholson on a 2-for-1 Hyperion Dyad reissue of HWV426-433 plus eight fugues (CDD22045 – CD or download from Hyperion in mp3 and lossless), and the few other recordings listed below, these Suites are not over-represented in the catalogue. Unfortunately for his new rivals, however, Nicholson's playing is mostly of very high quality and the Hyperion price highly attractive, so I've taken this as my benchmark. It offers stiff competition for the new releases, though the Divine Art set is also offered at a keen price.

John France regarded the Hyperion set as his benchmark, though he also thought that Ottavio Dantone's performances on Arts 47698-2 and 47699-2, which also contain several extra pieces, compared favourably.. Mark Sealey thought that Sophie Yates' recording on Chandos had much to recommend it (Chandos CHAN0644, 0669 and 0688), though preferring the Arkiv CDR reissue of Trevor Pinnock's recording of some of the Suites (410 656-2). That Arkiv CD offers rather short value, though the price, currently $14.99, partially redresses the balance of value, especially if you download from passionato.com in mp3 (£7.99) or flac (£9.99).

In the main Laurence Cummings is slower than the opposition, but some of his tempi are decidedly fast: the presto finale of Suite No.3, HWV428, more familiar from the organ concertos – Handel's typical re-use of his own material – is a case in point. He dashes this off in 4:35, at which speed it sounds ever so slightly a scramble, as against Nicholson's more sedate 5:04 and Rowland's slightly too deliberate 5:22. Martin Souter (The Gift of Music CCLCD009, Suites 1-5) is even faster at 4:28, yet contrives to sound deliberate rather than rushed. Isolde Ahlgrimm (Corona Classic Collection 001952CCC, Suites 1-4 and Chaconne in G) and Alan Cuckston (Naxos 8.550415, Suites 1-5; 8.550416, Suites 6-8 and other works) cut the repeat and shorten the movement to 3:00 and 2:38 respectively, thereby almost editing it out of existence, which is a shame because Ahlgrimm, one of the pioneers of modern harpsichord playing, gives a very interesting personal interpretation.

We've already seen that Rowland is a little more deliberate than Cummings in the finale of HWV428 and that's true in most of the movements of that work. On the few occasions where Rowland is slightly faster, the difference is hardly perceptible in practice, but where he is slower, it's often by quite a margin:

I noted Rowland's slightly deliberate manner even before I compared the timings, especially in the Allemande . Views of the right tempo for this movement do seem to vary considerably, however, and Rowland is not the slowest here, with Nicholson taking 4:46 and Yates only slightly faster at 4:25. There's nothing ‘wrong' with any of the three versions of this movement. Nevertheless, I prefer Cummings' view of this movement to those of Rowland and Nicholson.

As a matter of pure interest, though I said that I wouldn't compare piano versions, Andrei Gavrilov prunes and demolishes the Allemande from this Suite in 2:33 (EMI Gemini 5865402).

Rowland's version of HWV429 takes 16:30 overall against Cummings' 13:46 and Nicholson's 16:00: this time it's the fourth movement Sarabande that accounts for most of the difference, with honours about even in the other sections. A sarabande is a slow and stately dance, so there's a good case to be made for Rowland's decision to take 4:50 – Nicholson is slower still at 5:06 – almost half as long again as Cummings (3:21), yet ultimately I come down on Cummings' side. Perhaps Yates, who falls between the two tempi, has it right here.

For a final example, I compared the versions of the famous ‘Harmonious Blacksmith', the final Air and Variations from HWV430. Here, for once, Rowland is slightly faster than Cummings – 4:25 against 4:47 – and both are in line with the view which most performers take for the tempo here: Yates (4:40), Cuckston (4:39) and Nicholson (4:35) are in near-complete agreement in splitting the difference between the two new recordings almost exactly.

More to the point, I found here none of the over-deliberation in Rowland's performance that I noted elsewhere – it's a free-wheeling account. On the other hand, if you want this movement played in a lighter, more pastoral style on a softer-voiced instrument, evoking, as it were, the village blacksmith whose name has come to be attached to this piece, especially when it's played on its own, the lighter touch and more distant recording of Cummings on Somm will be your preferred choice. I thought both accounts preferable to the slower tempo adopted by Blandine Verlet in a recording of the Eight ‘Great' Suites for Auvidis Astrée (E8655) – on paper, she seems much faster by dint of omitting some repeats.

It's swings and roundabouts, then, in terms of performance from Laurence Cummings, Gilbert Rowland and Paul Nicholson. That all three are Handelians through and through is never in doubt: Laurence Cummings in particular is the director of the London Handel Festival and has participated in a number of excellent recordings of the composer for Somm, as conductor ( Joshua , SOMMCD240-2; Esther , SOMMCD238-9) and as a member of the London Handel Players ( Flute Concerto , etc., SOMMCD055; Violin Sonatas, SOMMCD068; Trio Sonatas, Op.5, SOMMCD044). You'll find our ‘Seen and Heard' reviewers using terms such as ‘exemplary' about his concert performances.

Johan van Veen was disparaging about Rowland's performances on Volume 10 of the Naxos series of the keyboard works of Soler for their ‘relentless hammering ... with very little differentiation and variation'. He may well have the same reaction to this Handel recording, since Cummings' playing is softer-voiced throughout. Handel's keyboard works are of a higher order than Soler's and I think JV was partly put off by his dislike of the music. In any event, I'm more inclined to agree with Michael Cookson's review of Volume 9: ‘a really fine performance from Gilbert Rowland who was an inspired choice'. Just bear in mind that what I perceive as a more forthright style is another well-informed listener's relentless hammering.

As for Nicholson's Handelian credentials, Peter J Lawson recommended another Hyperion 2-for-1 set on which he plays the Organ Concertos , Op.4 and Op.7 (CDD22052). His conclusion that ‘Nicholson's playing though admirably polished communicates more of a studied respect for Handel than the flamboyance one imagines distinguished Handel's own playing' would serve to describe his playing of the Suites , except that I'm more than happy with the slight understatement of his playing here.

With three such distinguished recordings, unless and until you begin to make direct comparisons, I imagine that most could be happy with any one of these three sets. That was my initial feeling before doing the ‘building a library' job and it remains the case.

With two CDs for the price of one, the Hyperion is the least expensive, especially as a download from hyperion-records.co.uk, where the lossless version comes at the same price as the mp3, £7.99, with the booklet as part of the deal. That's even less expensive than the two Naxos CDs which contain the Cuckston recordings; both offer between them more than just the Eight ‘Great' Suites.

The difference between the Somm and Divine Art recordings and instruments which I noted in the finale of HWV430 is true throughout, with Rowland more forward, louder-voiced and at a higher volume that Cummings, though never unduly so. The closeness of the Divine Art recording, however, is likely to become more tiring than the Somm after a while. Though I think you're hardly likely to want to play both CDs in one go, you may well find the Cummings recording easier to live with in that respect.

The Somm notes are brief but generally to the point, though nowhere will you find a reference to that well-known nickname for the finale of HWV430. The Divine Art notes are a little fuller and Hyperion offer a booklet of their usual high quality – available as a pdf document from their website and worth reading whether you buy the set or not.

From Somm, two CDs, each playing for less than an hour, seem poor value by today's standards, even though the set is on sale for less than full price, when Hyperion offer several extra works on Paul Nicholson's recording for the price of one CD. Divine Art give you more music for your money; they also offer their two-CD sets for less than premium price, and spread their net more widely than just the works of Set 1. I'd love to leave it at that, say that all three recordings have their virtues, and sit on the fence. I know, however, that you want me to plump, so, for overall satisfaction with tempo and performance, the quality of the booklet, and availability at a very reasonable price, it has to be Paul Nicholson on Hyperion.
Brian Wilson