Handel: Oboe Ctos No 1-3 / Cto a Due Cori No 1-3

While handel's concerti grossi are much performed and recorded, the exquisite oboe concertos and the grand concerti a due cori are unfairly neglected. Bringing together both these sets of concerti, this generous 2 cd set presents sir Neville Marriner's decca recordings of the former (one of his first) and philips recordings of the latter. Included too are the overture in d and the concerto grosso in c which acts as a curtain-raiser to alexander's feast. Other curtain-raisers are the ubiquitous 'arrival of the queen of sheba' and the tri-partite 'berenice' overture. But of immense interest to the collector will be marriner's argo disc of 'ballet music' - overtures and orchestral interludes from alcina, ariodante and il pastor fido, appearing complete for the first time on CD.