Handel: Arie per BassoNaïve OP 30472
Not the most imaginative title, but Handel’s bass arias perhaps have a reputation for a certain matter-of-factness – mostly thanks to the old dudes, dads and kings who get to sing them. But there are plenty of gems among them, and Lorenzo Regazzo avoids those that slavishly follow the bassline in favour of the likes of Elviro’s jaunty arietta from Serse, Claudio’s sweet love-song from Agrippina and others. Of course the non-English speaker limits himself by excluding the oratorios, but there is a nice surprise in the inclusion of a couple of cantatas – Dalla Guerra amorosa and Apollo e Dafne – where the singer is freed from operatic character and can indulge his velvety voice with a little more fantasy and lightness. Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano provide great sparky, spiky accompaniments – in fact much of the charm lies there, as well as in these rather overlooked pieces. RT
No comments:
Post a Comment