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Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
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Disc 2:
Disc 3:
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Handel opera, for many, is an impenetrable world of opera seria with its faintly ridiculous libretti, blockbuster showpiece arias, oh and with some story line rushed in as recitative. With recordings such as this one by Christopher Hogwood (who has also made a recording of Handel's Orlando) then Handelian opera may be more accessible to all music lovers. Whilst perhaps at the pricy end of the spectrum, there is an abundance of high class singing and playing that will have you listening to this recording time and again.
Whilst Ms Bartoli's main forte in the past has been in Mozart and Rossini, she makes an admirable Almirena as foil to David Daniels' Rinaldo, and her enunciation of 'Lascia ch'io pianga', amongst others, will take some beating. There is certainly no rival among presently recorded versions.
Bernarda Fink, a Handel veteran by now, makes a strident Goffredo, Rinaldo's able lieutenant and Gerald Finley a blustering and convincing King of Jerusalem, Argante. His queen, Armida, is spectacularly portrayed by Czech soprano Luba Organasova who consistently never fails to surprise with her power and feeling for this music, particularly in her end of Act Two showstopper Vo' far guerra.
For one who is an unashamed admirer of countertenor singing, this recording is a fantastic opportunity to hear three of the best. Daniel Taylor (Canada) makes a superb fist of the least convincing character in the opera - Eustazio, whilst former treble prodigy Bejun Mehta (USA) 'breathes fire' in the small part of the Christian sorcerer.
But it is the name part that makes or breaks this recording, and in David Daniels Hogwood has brought the character of Rinaldo to life. Gone are the days of the castrati, but I suspect Nicolini (the original Rinaldo) would have approved of Daniels' passionate and technically unrivalled performance. Whether indulging in coloratura pyrotechnics in 'Venti Turbini' and 'Or la tromba', pathos in 'Cara Sposa' or vivid interplay alongside Bartoli in the love music (viz. 'Scherza sul tuo volto'), Daniels struts his astonishing technique and interpretation to make him the leading operatic countertenor around, which is saying something with the current competition.
It is hard to imagine that this recording will be surpassed in the near future projecting, as it does convincingly, the thrill of live performance. Highly recommended for the casual opera lover, this is a must for Handelian admirers to have in their collection.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is lavish and theatrical masterpiece with its grand performances. Daniels is excellent as the hero Rinaldo and yet at times is overshadowed by incredible performances by both Bernarda Fink (as Goffredo) and Bartoli as the heroine Almirena. Both Gerald Finley and Luba Organasova also make fantastic appearances as the opera's villains. This version captures the true 18th century Baroque feel with all its grandure. I highly recommend it! *****
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Handel's opera is given a ravishing performance by a world class cast and fine conducting. Excitement is not only drawn from the excellent performers and the conducting of Hogwood, but also by the stage effects. Fire breathing breath, birds singing, thunder, and scorhed earth are all wonderfully created. All these effects and the beautiful singing by Bartoli and Daniels and indeed the whole cast, create a wonderful atmosphere which captures perfectly the excitement and grandeur which Handel wished to create on stage and in music. There are enough marches, orchestral interludes, arias, and ensembles to keep variation, excitement, and beauty throughout the 3 CDs. The packaging is great and the booklet informative. I cannot recommend this enough!! Buy it!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Handel's dramatic explosion onto the London stage
Handel's first opera, Agrippina, performed in Venice at the end of 1709, made a huge impression not just on Italians but also the numerous foreigners who packed the city for the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by E. L. Wisty
Hogwood and a starry cast in the Baroque groove
Having been uncomplimentary about Christopher Hogwood's forays into the early Classical epoque, I am more than happy to acknowledge his success here in the Fach that suits him and... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ralph Moore
Flawed, perhaps fatally
There is much magnificent singing here, and the instrumental playing and direction are interesting and often exciting. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2010 by N. R. J. McCaughan
A delight
This recording is a delight. Hogwood's energy and clarity are superb, making the theatricality of the opera come to the fore and providing the perfect setting for singing and... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2009 by pseudopanax
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