Handel Rinaldo

After the album Bach, Little Books , harpsichordist Francesco Corti continues his collaboration with Arcana with a 2-CD recording entirely dedicated to George Frideric Handel. At the center of the project are the eight “Great” suites. These masterpieces were the composer’s first published set, and are a clear testimony to his virtuosity at the keyboard. Their characteristically diversified styles reflect not only the mélange of national traditions assimilated by the young composer, but also his phenomenal improvisatory talent. Moreover, the attraction of these pieces lies in their melodic and rhythmic affinity to the world of singing and orchestral writing, Händel’s strongest interests.

This is a concept disc. Don’t be misled by the cover art which implies that Handel wrote an opera called La Maga Abbandonata; he didn’t. This is the brain-child of the music director Alan Curtis and the writer Donna Leon who reads an extract from her novel Acqua alta on the final track of the disc.
The concept has some interest but in essence this is a recital disc and a very good one indeed. Both singers are excellent, the soprano particularly so. These extracts are described by Donna Leon in her interesting accompanying essay as "arias of rage and sorrow" in which the sorceresses who people so many of Handel’s operas do just that, rage and sorrow; note the number of crudels and crudos in the track listing! The music is stunning. I don’t think I had realised just how good Handel’s operatic music could be. If one tries to attempt entire operas one gets bogged down in the interminable plots and the vast length of them. Productions on video seem to be overwhelmed by odd directorial peccadillos so perhaps this sort of disc, consisting of short extracts, is the best way into the repertoire. Ah! Crudel from Rinaldo is a splendid example of Handel at his most intense. Ah! Mio cor from Alcina epitomises the particular character of Simone Kermes’ voice. She is somewhat of the school of Cecilia Bartoli in that she "emotes" quite hard and has an appealing breathiness of voice as well as secure pitching. Melissa’s aria Desterò dall’empia Dite from Amadigi is a stunning display of singing as well as trumpet and oboe virtuosity from soloists of the very fine original instrument group, new to me, Il Complesso Barocco.

Countertenor Christophe Dumaux is one of the most important countertenors of our days. He is invited to the world's most prestigious opera houses and festivals including the Metropolitan Opera New York, the Paris Opera, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Staatsoper Berlin, La Scala Milan, the Proms London and the Salzburg Festival. Dumaux was the soloist of the 2019 gala concert at the Gцttingen International Handel Festival where he sung a program with arias from Handel's operas such as "Orlando", "Rinaldo", "Giulio Cesare" and "Ariodante". "Christophe Dumaux's appearance at this recital in the 2019 Gцttingen Handel Festival was electrifying, dazzling, completely stunning, showing a mature singer at the top of his game with great technique and depth of interpretation not to mention golden tone." (bachtrack) On this release he showcases his talent with a programme of Handel arias.

Soundtrack to the film 'Farinelli', the 1994 biopic film about the life and career of Italian opera singer Farinelli, considered one of the greatest castrato singers of all time. It stars Stefano Dionisi as Farinelli and was directed by Belgian director Gérard Corbiau. Although Dionisi provided the speaking voice, Farinelli's singing voice was provided by a soprano, Ewa Malas-Godlewska and a countertenor, Derek Lee Ragin, who were recorded separately then digitally merged to recreate the sound of a castrato. Through the film the general public discovered a whole repertoire of works for a voice that can no longer be heard today. The soundtrack from the film became a bestseller, as we discovered with delight some beautiful pieces by Handel, Pergolesi, Hasse, Porpora and others, in a unique interpretation.

This first oratorio written by Handel in Rome shows already the marvellous virtuosity of his writing at that time, as well as his fine assimilation of the Italian style. Pure enjoyment.

Es ist üblich geworden, dass aufstrebende Countertenöre versuchen, mit dem Repertoire berühmter Kastraten des 18. Jahrhunderts auf sich aufmerksam zu machen. Der aus St. Petersburg stammende Dmitry Egorov hat sich dafür Nicolo Grimaldi alias Nicolini ausgesucht: ein Sänger, der seine Karriere als Sopranist unter Alessandro Scarlatti in Neapel startete und seine nachhaltigsten Erfolge als Altist und Hauptdarsteller in Händels Londoner Opern feierte…

For its harmonia mundi début, the London-based La Nuova Musica, led by David Bates, presents a true rarity: the original 1712 version of Handel's opera 'Il pastor fido' (The Faithful Shepherd) featuring Lucy Crowe, Anna Dennis, Katherine Manley, Madeleine Shaw and Clint van der Linde.