This concert performance of Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus took place in Munich in 1963, and for what it is, it’s very exciting. By “what it is” I mean that an hour of the work’s two-and-a-half hours has been lopped off, the text is sung in German, and the instruments are, of course, modern. All that being said, Rafael Kubelik brings great drama to the work, and the set’s greatest draw, the tenor Fritz Wunderlich, does not disappoint. Although Wunderlich’s role is reduced to about 15 minutes of singing, his rendition of “Sound an alarm” is stunning and elsewhere he shows great facility with coloratura. The other soloists are good enough and Kubelik’s Munich forces are impressive. A good show, but be aware of what you’re getting. If you like the work and want to hear it performed complete (and on period instruments), try the Hyperion recording.
