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CD box set issued to celebrate 30 years of Alan Curtis' work with Il Complesso Barocco.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
This 15 CD set was issued in 2009 to celebrate 30 years of Alan Curtis and his work with Il Complesso Barocco.
The recording dates range from 1977 (2operas) to 2002~2005 (4 operas).
The casting cannot be faulted.
To quote a few of the well known singers should suffice to show you the quality of this set:~
Sandrine Piau
Patrizia Ciofi
Joyce DiDonato
Rene Jacobs (as a singer)
Rachel Yakar
James Bowman
Jill Gomez
Lawrence Zazzo
Max Emanuel Cencic
Simone Kermes
Anna Maria Panzarella
This is about only half of the singers overall, I haven't listed the other,not because they are in any way inferior,but because they are not known to me (or you?)
What this set does have is an authentic sound,and continuity.
Continuity because the whole set is directed by Alan Curtis and played by Il Complesso Barocco.
Although Amazon list the set(correctly) as 16 discs,it is actually 15 opera discs,and the 16th is a CD~ROM with all the original liner noted,AND most importantly ALL the libretti for all operas in Italian with English translations(so important when listening to lesser known Handel).
There is also a small (real not cyber) booklet lisitng the casts for the operas,details of the first performances,and recording dates etc,and a track listing for all the discs.
It comes in a neat flip top box,with the discs housed in sturdy cardboard sleeves.
For those of you worried about shelf space (and who isn't) the box measures a smidgeon over two and a half inched wide.
At this bargain price we get explore the depths of Handel's operas without breaking the bank!
The recording dates range from 1977 (2operas) to 2002~2005 (4 operas).
The casting cannot be faulted.
To quote a few of the well known singers should suffice to show you the quality of this set:~
Sandrine Piau
Patrizia Ciofi
Joyce DiDonato
Rene Jacobs (as a singer)
Rachel Yakar
James Bowman
Jill Gomez
Lawrence Zazzo
Max Emanuel Cencic
Simone Kermes
Anna Maria Panzarella
This is about only half of the singers overall, I haven't listed the other,not because they are in any way inferior,but because they are not known to me (or you?)
What this set does have is an authentic sound,and continuity.
Continuity because the whole set is directed by Alan Curtis and played by Il Complesso Barocco.
Although Amazon list the set(correctly) as 16 discs,it is actually 15 opera discs,and the 16th is a CD~ROM with all the original liner noted,AND most importantly ALL the libretti for all operas in Italian with English translations(so important when listening to lesser known Handel).
There is also a small (real not cyber) booklet lisitng the casts for the operas,details of the first performances,and recording dates etc,and a track listing for all the discs.
It comes in a neat flip top box,with the discs housed in sturdy cardboard sleeves.
For those of you worried about shelf space (and who isn't) the box measures a smidgeon over two and a half inched wide.
At this bargain price we get explore the depths of Handel's operas without breaking the bank!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
I originally was looking only for a recording of Radamisto as I just adored ENO's production of it this season. The choice is not a large one as it befits a relatively obsucre Handel opera and so I had the choice between this package deal and a single recording of the same. Normally not a friend of package deals, I took it because of the price and had the surprise of my life when each of the recording turned out to be a little gem. I can thoroughly recommend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Like 'seaside sam' I bought this set initially for just one opera, Admeto, and baulked initially at the price until I realised that it bought you a massive 15 CDs (do the maths!). I hadn't even heard of most of these operas but was amazed at how wonderful they are. Fernando has become my current favorite but they grow on me the more I hear them. There is some truly thrilling singing. Alan Curtis, in his arrangements, has taken the trouble to ensure that these masterpieces aren't lost to us. This version avoids the 'low-budget' sound where a minimal number of musicians are used with the priority being 'authenticity' and the results being 'serious' rather than enjoyable. This has a rich, sweet orchestral sound. Alan Curtis keeps the pace going through the recitativo pieces by the sheer quality of the singing.
Contras? Well, while I appreciate the practicality of having the libretti on a single Cd, they are in a particularly annoying 4 column format which doesn't fit well in a netbook window. The protected PDF text can't be selected for putting into a more user-friendly format and, although the PDF can be transferred to a Kindle, the paragraphs get mixed up if you use mobipocket or you have to use a 300x magnification to read them which means using the 5-way controller a great deal to navigate the page. However the libretti do give lots of details including interesting facts about the current arrangement and the history of the opera. The electronic format means I can read these intros without a magnifying glass. This intro to each opera is in English, French, Italian and German but the translations of the libretti are in English only. They are however well translated with the translater producing text in rhyme and meter with the music so that it can be used instead of the italian text..
My second contra is (understandably, given their scarcity) many, though not all, of the countertenor parts have been given to sopranos who, while they do an excellent job of tackling a male role, don't have quite the same effect. For those of you who dislike the countertenor sound, this could be considered a pro! Still, these contras can't outweigh the pleasure this set is giving me so can't cost a star.
Contras? Well, while I appreciate the practicality of having the libretti on a single Cd, they are in a particularly annoying 4 column format which doesn't fit well in a netbook window. The protected PDF text can't be selected for putting into a more user-friendly format and, although the PDF can be transferred to a Kindle, the paragraphs get mixed up if you use mobipocket or you have to use a 300x magnification to read them which means using the 5-way controller a great deal to navigate the page. However the libretti do give lots of details including interesting facts about the current arrangement and the history of the opera. The electronic format means I can read these intros without a magnifying glass. This intro to each opera is in English, French, Italian and German but the translations of the libretti are in English only. They are however well translated with the translater producing text in rhyme and meter with the music so that it can be used instead of the italian text..
My second contra is (understandably, given their scarcity) many, though not all, of the countertenor parts have been given to sopranos who, while they do an excellent job of tackling a male role, don't have quite the same effect. For those of you who dislike the countertenor sound, this could be considered a pro! Still, these contras can't outweigh the pleasure this set is giving me so can't cost a star.
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