Handel, Beecham: The Gods Go a’Begging

This album is a late recording by the legendary Thomas Beecham. Much like some of his contemporaries (such as John Barbirolli), Beecham enjoyed composing witty pastiches and transcribing the old masters. In particular, the Beecham-Handel suites after excerpts from operas and instrumental music remain very famous. In 1928, Serge Diaghilev commissioned Beecham to produce music for his ravishing ballet The Gods Go A’Begging after Handel, and whose choreography designed by Balanchine was inspired by 18th-century pastorales. Here is the version conducted by the composer himself, remastered from the original tapes and made available for the first time on digital platforms.