Handel: Judas Maccabaeus

Robert King's Handel oratorio series for Hyperion has been, on the whole, very successful. Although King lacks some the polish associated with other English period instrument groups, he conducts the music with tremendous gusto, particularly in the big, brassy numbers that Handel wrote better than anyone else. If you already have Nicholas McGegan's performance of Judas on Harmonia Mundi, there's no reason to double up here, but as a first version, either of these recordings is worth your consideration. --David Hurwitz