Customer Rating:  
Summary: good music
Comment: really like this cd~ kinda bought it on a whim, there was a discount...beautiful recording, sensitively played.
Customer Rating:
Summary: THE modern orchestra recording to have of the complete Water Music
Comment: Riccardo Muti's recording of Handel's "Water Music" with the Berlin Philharmonic, recorded in 1985 in DDD sound, is THE recording to have of the complete "Water Music" played by a modern instrument orchestra. Muti's tempos are so sensible and musical. There is a harpsichord in the texture, and the Berlin Philharmonic seems a little leaner than in other recordings, taking into account no doubt that this is Baroque music. Muti doesn't shy away from slow tempos in some movements, such as the closing movement of Suite I, to make the points needed to be made. The Allegros really move and sizzle, and the orchestra never sounds scrawny or puny. Yet it is not the big orchestra treatment of Ormandy (CBS), Szell/London Symphony (Decca), Steinberg (Seraphim) for the 6 movement suite, or Van Beinum/Concertgebouw (Philips LP) for the complete "Water Music". Perhaps it would be safe to say that Muti/Berlin can satisfy the Baroque purist, as well as those loving a great modern orchestra sound.
This is my favorite recording of the complete "Water Music". I also like Van Beinum, and the Warchal/Capella Istroplitana (Naxos) is good, but a smaller ensemble and sound. For period instruments, I like Pinnock/English Concert (DG Archiv) and Hans Martin Linde (Virgin Classics). For such a small amount of cash, you can't go wrong with Muti's "Water Music."
Customer Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Comment: This is my favorite recording of this piece. The pacing is faster than some, but not too fast. I have heard much slower pacings that put me to sleep. This recording just grabs me. I love Muti and the BPO.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Can't hear the keyboard accompaniment
Comment: This is a good performance, reasonably priced and includes all the selections. BPO play well, and Muti leads them pretty good, though Handel is probably not his forte. The keyboard accompaniment, vital to the score, gets lost in the background. At the moment, I don't have any alternatives to suggest other than to say that I am disappointed by the sound of period instrument ensembles. Baroque trumpets don't sound very good. I hear Sir Neville Marriner has two really good recordings with the modern instruments of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a good recording on London, and an excellent digital one on EMI which I plan to buy in the future.
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