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Handel: Alcina
 
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Handel: Alcina [Live]

~ William Christie (Conductor), Les Arts Florissants (Orchestra), Renée Fleming (Performer), Susan Graham (Performer), Natalie Dessay (Performer), et al.
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Price: £31.17 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Handel: Alcina + Handel - Rinaldo / Bartoli, Daniels, Fink, Finley, Orgonasova, Taylor, AAM, Hogwood
Price For Both: £58.15

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Product details

  • Performer: Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Natalie Dessay, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Laurent Naouri, et al.
  • Orchestra: Les Arts Florissants
  • Conductor: William Christie
  • Composer: George Frideric Handel
  • Audio CD (21 Feb 2000)
  • SPARS Code: DDD
  • Number of Discs: 3
  • Format: Live
  • Label: Erato
  • ASIN: B00004NK26
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 21,344 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Disc: 1
1. Alcina: Sinfonia
2. Alcina: Minuet
3. Alcina: Musette
4. Alcina: Atto 1, Scena I: Recitativo - Oh Dei! quivi non scorgo alcun sentiero! (Bradamante)
5. Alcina: Atto 1, Scena I: Aria - O s'apre al riso (Morgana)
6. Alcina: Atto 1, Scena II: Coro - Questo e il cielo de' contenti
See all 22 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Alcina: Atto II, Scena I: Arioso - Col celarvi a chi v'ama (Ruggiero)
2. Alcina: Atto II, Scena I: Recitativo - Taci, taci, codardo (Melissa) - Arioso - Qual portento mi richiama (Ruggiero)
3. Alcina: Atto II, Scena I: Recitativo - Ah, Bradamante! (Ruggiero)
4. Alcina: Atto II, Scena I: Aria - Pensa a chi geme d'amor (Melissa)
5. Alcina: Atto II, Scena II: Recitativo - Qual adio ingiusto contro me? (Bradamante)
6. Alcina: Atto II, Scena II: Aria - Vorrei vendicarmi (Bradamante)
See all 22 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. Sinfonia
2. Atto III, Scena I: Recitativo - Voglio amar e disamar (Oronte)
3. Atto III, Scena I: Aria - Credete el mio dolore (Morgana)
4. Atto III, Scena I: Recitativo - M'inganna, me n'avveggo (Oronte)
5. Atto III, Scena I: Aria - Un momento di contento (Oronte)
6. Atto III, Scena II: Recitativo - Molestissimo incontro! (Ruggiero)
See all 22 tracks on this disc


Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Here it is: one of the year's most hotly anticipated opera recordings, made during an acclaimed live production in June 1999 at the Paris Opera, which more than lives up to the promise. Whether Handelian opera is still a novelty or you're already a rabid convert, this emotionally resonant, crisply played, superbly cast interpretation under William Christie and Les Arts Florissants is likely to shake up some of your ideas about the composer.

On the surface, Alcina's Ariosto-based story about a sorceress whose spell is finally broken seems like the typically absurd fare of baroque opera. But as the story unfolds in an incredible succession of some 28 arias, it's clear that these performers are reaching for deeper profundities present in Handel's music. Renée Fleming makes Alcina's huge Act II aria "Ah! mio cor" a central epiphany and turning point of the opera. It defies belief that this is Susan Graham's first baroque opera, so rich is her variety of invention and deep her musicality as Ruggiero, the one to break free of Alcina's spell, while the spun-silk soprano of Nathalie Dessay adds yet another colour to the multitude of female voices that dominate here. --Thomas May


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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Ceratainly the best recording to date of this beautiful work, 14 Mar 2000
By A Customer
This is a recording that grows on you more and more every time you listen to it; I've been with mine now for three weeks and I have to say, I find it the most satisfying, calming, and uplifting Handel recording I have ever heard. Christie takes things slowly, heart-stoppingly slowly at times, but it works really well. Flemming responds to the tempo perfectly: just listen to her "Ah! Mio Cor" on Disk 2 (all 12 minutes of it)- this is moving stuff. Dessay's remarkable coleratura is without doubt the star of the show, and her "Tornami a vagheggiar" which closes Act I was as much a hit with me as it clearly was with the live audience. The orchestra of Les Arts Florissants play with their customary dedication and elegance. I have no hesitation in recommending this wonderful (and most complete) recording of this remarkable work. Buy it!
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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellence and style, 10 April 2001
By A Customer
What a wonderful recording! Having listened to a few, I would definately say this is the best. Fleming and Graham alone make this a recording worth having and the generous musicality both from the performers and orchestra makes you wish you had been there. Buy it and you won't regret it. Enjoy!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite a dream team, 12 Dec 2008
By Iain C. Davidson "iain1825" (Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Despite the period instruments of Les Arts Florrisants, Christie's recording of 'Alcina' has an oddly old fashioned feel about it. I think this is largely down to the casting. Seldom these days do we find a singer like Renee Fleming in a Handel opera recording. Her thick, rich and creamy tones will not be to everyone's taste and I'm not sure that they are to my own! Generally speaking I love Fleming's voice but not here. She has some good moments but much of it is just too drawn out, self indulgent and wallowing in the beauty of her own sound. I also failed to be overly impressed with Susan Graham as Ruggiero. Graham's is a voice I can't seem to get excited about; there's nothing wrong with it - I just don't see what all the fuss is about, there are better Handelian mezzo sopranos out there.

The rest of the cast is generally fine. Natalie Dessay is caught before she started to become prone to self indulgence herself - her opening aria is just lovely! Kathleen Kuhlmann is a good, firm Bradamante, Laurent Naouri is a sonorous Melisso and Juanita Lascarro provides some of the best singing in the small role of Oberto. Timothy Robinson is OK as Oronte but there are better Handel tenors.

Stage noises do sometimes interfere but I didn't find it too damaging. The orchestra play delightfully but I find Christie inclined to drag things out too much sometimes. In short this is a decent recording. Other recordings of 'Alcina' have their own shortcomings and there is definitely room for new versions.
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2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing...
With an all-star cast and world class orchestra, this recording promises much, and there are many good things here, such as the excellent playing of Les Arts Florissants... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Music Lover

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