Ryland Fisher

Considered one of the finest counter tenors of his generation, Ryland Angel makes the switch from the rarefied world of Baroque music – which established him as an international star – to the land of pop classical on his lushly produced major-label debut. While some of the press materials tried to link him to more pop oriented singer/songwriters like Aaron Neville, James Taylor and James Blunt, Angel's stunningly beautiful, ethereal and transcendent voice will appeal just as much to fans of Josh Groban. But while Groban always aims for the big pop hook and crescendo, Angel is a little more traditional, letting most of these tracks build their feelings slowly, drifting over a colorful ambient landscape.

…Fine motets by Stradella and Bassani make this disc worth investigation. …violinist Patrick Cohën-Akenine with his excellent bad Les Folies Françoises play with resonant warmth, particularly in two dynamically charged Corelli sonatas.