The orchestra fires up and really begins to sizzle in the opening flourishes of one of Handel’s great celebratory works, the so-called “Dettingen” Te Deum (1743). And all is well–until the grand choral entrance, a congealed, swampy conglomeration that signifies nothing except poor engineering. And so it is for the rest of the performance, whose only moments of sonic clarity occur during vocal solos and orchestral sections. This is only partially rewarding, for the soloists vary in quality–a badly throaty alto is most troublesome–and their highly individual voices don’t make good ensemble partners. All of this is too bad because this is a wonderful chorus that obviously knows the music well and is working with fine-focused energy to bring these familiar texts to life. The orchestra, Concerto Polacco, also is excellent, and its sharply articulated runs, stylish phrasing, and subtle ornamental effects add considerably to the exciting atmosphere that all concerned must have felt in the church where the recording was made.
There are delightful touches throughout, such as the beautiful solo trumpet in “Thou art the King of Glory” and the emotionally charged sequence that begins with “Thou sittest at the right hand of God” and follows through the next section, “Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints”. In this work and the earlier (1726) Te Deum in A major, Handel lavished some of his most affecting choruses and, especially in the A major, some of his more lovely melodies. Unfortunately, we are left here to only wish we could hear them better, more clearly, in more detail–and with a better cast of soloists.
