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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An unusual Handel Opera, marvellously performed., 7 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This unusual five act opera from early in Handel's London career contains some outstanding music. Minkowski has assembled a fine cast who render an admirable performance of this little-known Handel masterpiece.James in the title role has some splendid arias, most notably the exhilarating S'armi il fato, s'armi amore! and the brief but stunningly beautiful Chi ritorna alla mia mente. James is brilliantly supported by an excellent cast of singers. The sopranos Gooding (Agilea) and Napoli (Clizia)entertain the listener with some ravishing arias, notably Deh! v'aprite, oh luci belle (Gooding), hauntingly accompanied by recorders, and the jaunty Ti credo, si ben' mio (Napoli). The countertenors Ragin (Egeo) and Gall (Arcane) provide some virtuoso vocal fireworks in Voglio stragi, e voglio morte (Ragin) and Benche tuoni e l'etra avvampi (Gall). However, it is Jones, in the role of the sorceress Medea, who steals the limelight with a series of outstanding, show-stopping arias, ranging from the plaintive Dolce riposo, ed innocente pace! to the dazzling virtuosity of Sibillando, ululando, fulminate, la rival. Throughout, the arias are comparatively brief, none exceeding five minutes. This, coupled with succinct recitatives, keeps the opera flowing along so that one is continually delighted by new and contrasting musical styles. The playing of Les Musiciens du Louvre is exquisite throughout. One of the delights of this work is the rich diversity of its orchestration. There are no less than nine arias with oboe solos, together with arias for solo transverse flutes, trumpets and cellos respectively. This five act opera has been recorded on two CDs, which with over seventy minutes of music on each CD makes this recording a real bargain. A must for any fan of Handelian Opera.
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~ Christopher Hogwood
~ Marc Minkowski
~ Max Emanuel Cencic
~ Carlo Lepore
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