| George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) - Rinaldo, HWV 7a (2000) |
| Cover Front | Album | ||||||||||||||||
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| Track List | |||||
| Rinaldo: Act I | 76:33 | ||||
| 01 | Act I: Ouverture | 05:37 | |||
| 02 | Act I: Scene 1: "Delle nostre fatiche siam prossimi alla meta" | 00:32 | |||
| 03 | Act I: Scene 1: "Sovra balze scoscese e pungenti" | 04:19 | |||
| 04 | Act I: Scene 1: "Signor, già dal tuo senno" | 01:43 | |||
| 05 | Act I: Scene 1: "Combatti da forte" | 03:16 | |||
| 06 | Act I: Scene 1: "Questi saggi consigli accogli nel tuo sen" | 00:13 | |||
| 07 | Act I: Scene 1: "Ogn'indugio d'un amante è una pena" | 03:36 | |||
| 08 | Act I: Scene 2: "Signor, che delle stelle emuli i pregi" | 00:37 | |||
| 09 | Act I: Scene 2: "Sulla ruota di fortuna va girando la speranza" | 03:20 | |||
| 10 | Act I: Scene 3: "Sibillar gli angui d'Aletto" | 04:26 | |||
| 11 | Act I: Scene 3: "Gottfredo; se t'arrise sin qui fortuna" | 00:59 | |||
| 12 | Act I: Scene 3: "No, no, che quest'alma scontenti non dà" | 02:18 | |||
| 13 | Act I: Scene 4: "Infra dubbi di Marte resta sospeso il cuore: | 00:28 | |||
| 14 | Act I: Scene 4: "Vieni, o cara, a consolarmi" | 03:46 | |||
| 15 | Act I: Scene 5: "Furie terribili Aria" | 01:50 | |||
| 16 | Act I: Scene 5: "Come a tempo giungesti, cara" | 01:28 | |||
| 17 | Act I: Scene 5: "Molto voglio, molto spero" | 02:43 | |||
| 18 | Act I: Scene 6: "Augelletti che cantate" | 05:34 | |||
| 19 | Act I: Scene 6: "Adorato mio sposo, vieni a bear quest'alma" | 01:11 | |||
| 20 | Act I: Scene 6: "Scherzano sul tuo volto le grazie vezzosette" | 03:32 | |||
| 21 | Act I: Scene 7: "AI valor del mio brando cedi la nobil preda" | 00:20 | |||
| 22 | Act I: Scene 7: Prelude | 01:01 | |||
| 23 | Act I: Scene 7: "Cara sposa. amante cara, dove sei?" | 10:23 | |||
| 24 | Act I: Scene 8: "Chínsolito stupore lega gli sensi tuoi" | 01:15 | |||
| 25 | Act I: Scene 8: "Cor ingrato, ti rammembri, e non scoppii di dolor?" | 03:20 | |||
| 26 | Act I: Scene 8: "Io allóra impugno il brando" | 01:10 | |||
| 27 | Act I: Scene 8: "Col valor, colla virtù or si vada a trionfar" | 03:34 | |||
| 28 | Act I: Scene 9: "Di speranza un bel raggio ritorni" | 00:24 | |||
| 29 | Act I: Scene 9: "Venti, turbini, prestate le vostre ali a questo piè" | 03:38 | |||
| Rinaldo: Act II | 51:24 | ||||
| 01 | Act II: Scena 1: "Siam prossimi al porto" | 04:37 | |||
| 02 | Act II: Scene 2: "A quel sasso bramato" | 00:32 | |||
| 03 | Act II: Scene 3: "Per racor d'Almirena i piu" | 00:45 | |||
| 04 | Act II: Scene 3: "Il vostro moggio de'bei verdi anni" | 02:24 | |||
| 05 | Act II: Scene 3: "Qual incognita forza mi spinge" | 01:03 | |||
| 06 | Act II: Scene 3: "Il Tricarbero umilato" | 01:55 | |||
| 07 | Act II: Scene 3: "Signor, strano ardimenbt" | 00:13 | |||
| 08 | Act II: Scene 3: "Scorta rea di Cieco amore" | 03:58 | |||
| 09 | Act II: Scene 3: "Ciò fu indegna vittoria dei barb.." | 00:24 | |||
| 10 | Act II: Scene 3: "Mio cor, che mi sai dir?" | 02:57 | |||
| 11 | Act II: Scene 4: "Armoda dispietata" | 02:11 | |||
| 12 | Act II: Scene 4: "Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte" | 04:45 | |||
| 13 | Act II: Scene 4: "Ah! sul bel labro Amore..." | 00:26 | |||
| 14 | Act II: Scene 4: "Basta che sol tu chieda" | 02:17 | |||
| 15 | Act II: Scene 6: "Perfida, un cor illustre..." | 00:26 | |||
| 16 | Act II: Scene 6: "Perfida un cor illustre" | 02:32 | |||
| 17 | Act II: Scene 6: "Fermati" - "No, credel" | 01:43 | |||
| 18 | Act II: Scene 7: "Crudel, tu ch'involasti" | 01:25 | |||
| 19 | Act II: Scene 7: "Abbruccio, avvampoa frema" | 02:21 | |||
| 20 | Act II: Scene 8: "Dunque i lacci d'un volto" | 01:41 | |||
| 21 | Act II: Scene 8: "Ah, Crudel, i pianto mio" | 05:49 | |||
| 22 | Act II: Scene 9: "Ripendiam d'Almirena" | 00:13 | |||
| 23 | Act II: Scene 10: "Adorata Almirena, ogni breve..." | 01:30 | |||
| 24 | Act II: Scene 10: "Vo' far querra, e vincer voglio" | 05:17 | |||
| Rinaldo: Act III | 44:50 | ||||
| 01 | Act III: Scene 1: "Quive par che..." | 00:46 | |||
| 02 | Act III: Scene 2: "La causa che vi spinge..." | 00:51 | |||
| 03 | Act III: Scene 2: Sinfonia | 02:38 | |||
| 04 | Act III: Scene 2: "Qui vomita Cocitpo tita sua nera peste" | 00:43 | |||
| 05 | Act III: Scene 2: "Andatnte o forti fra stragi e morti" | 02:52 | |||
| 06 | Act III: Scene 3: "Mori svenata, - O numi" | 00:52 | |||
| 07 | Act III: Scene 4: "Nella guardata soglia..." | 01:29 | |||
| 08 | Act III: Scene 4: "Sorge nel perto certo diletto" | 04:19 | |||
| 09 | Act III: Scene 4: "Al trionfo s'affreti senza ritarso..." | 00:12 | |||
| 10 | Act III: Scene 4: "E' un incendio fra due venti" | 04:05 | |||
| 11 | Act III: Scene 5: "Chiuso fra nelle mura..." | 00:26 | |||
| 12 | Act III: Scena 6: "Per tormentar" | 01:44 | |||
| 13 | Act III: Scena 6: March | 00:56 | |||
| 14 | Act III: Scena 6: "In quel bosco di strali" | 00:16 | |||
| 15 | Act III: Scena 6: "Al trionfo del nostro fuore..." | 03:26 | |||
| 16 | Act III: Scene 7: "Di quei strani accidenti" | 00:36 | |||
| 17 | Act III: Scene 7: "Bel piacere è godere fido amor" | 01:56 | |||
| 18 | Act III: Scene 8: "Signor, l'oste nemica..." | 01:03 | |||
| 19 | Act III: Scene 8: "Di Sio nell'alta sede" | 03:06 | |||
| 20 | Act III: Scena 9: March | 00:51 | |||
| 21 | Act III: Scena 9: "Se cio t'e in grado, o Prence" | 00:33 | |||
| 22 | Act III: Scena 9: "Or la tromba in suon..." | 03:34 | |||
| 23 | Act III: Scene 10: "Miei fidi, ecco la in campo..." | 00:31 | |||
| 24 | Act III: Scene 11: "Magnanimi camponi, ecco l'ultimo giorno delle vostre fatiche" | 00:38 | |||
| 25 | Act III: Scene 11: "Solo dal brando, dal senno solo della vittoria" | 01:48 | |||
| 26 | Act III: Scene 11: Bataglia | 01:30 | |||
| 27 | Act III: Scene 12: "Goffredo, ecco il superbo in lacci avolto" | 00:23 | |||
| 28 | Act III: Scene 13: "Ecco, german, la cruda" | 01:27 | |||
| 29 | Act III: Scene 13: "Vinto è sol dalla virtu degli affetti il rio livor" | 01:19 | |||
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| Notes |
| Goffredo: Bernarda Fink
Almirena: Cecilia Bartoli Rinaldo: David Danieh Eustazio: Daniel Taylor Argante: Gerald Finley Armida: Luba Orgonasova Mago cristiano: Bejun Mehta Donna: Ana-Maria Rincon Sirena I: Catherine Bott Sirena II: Ana-Maria Rincon Un araldo: Mark Padmore Notes, illustrations, text and translation Essay: Anthony Hicks Essay: "Four and Twenty Blackbirds: Rinaldo's London Premiere On authentic instruments Gramophone review: "In a sense, Rinaldo is at once Handel’s most familiar and unfamiliar opera: familiar because, as his lavish first stage work for London, it has been much written about both by modern historians and by the composer’s contemporaries; unfamiliar because the Handel opera revival of recent years has largely passed it by. Although there are numerous recordings of its two hit slow arias - ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ and ‘Cara sposa’ - this is its first complete studio recording for over 20 years. It may not be Handel’s most dramatically effective work (Act 3 marks time rather), and its magic effects and transformation scenes no doubt make it a tricky prospect for opera companies, but in many ways its rich orchestration and impressive set-piece arias make it an opera ideal for recording. That much makes this release a welcome sight already; add the de luxe cast Decca has assembled for the purpose and it begins to look irresistible. "Top of the bill come David Daniels as the eponymous crusader knight and Cecilia Bartoli as his love Almirena. Daniels’ heart-stopping countertenor voice is one of the marvels of our age and hardly needs much further description from me. It is not big, and though he is technically untroubled by the virtuoso runs of the quicker arias, some may feel that it lacks some of the heroic power expected of a warrior; but there is an inner strength to it, and in the love music he is utterly convincing. In ‘Cara sposa’, his lament for the abducted Almirena, the milk and honey really flows and we know we are in the presence of something special. Bartoli is equally impressive in her own way, though I found her singing less well suited to Handel. Of course, she can deliver the most demanding music with almost frightening ease and force and, as ever, she throws herself into her role, but for all her show-stopping ability I could not help thinking that a more natural and unaffected style would have been more appropriate for arias such as ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ and ‘Augeletti che cantate’. Others may disagree. "The rest of the cast is almost unwaveringly strong. The role of the Christian commander Goffredo is not the most interesting in the opera, but the stoicism it principally demands is amply provided by the rock-solid Bernarda Fink, who nevertheless does not miss the chance to show her softer side in the reflective ‘Sorge ne petto’. Goffredo’s opposite number Argante, the ‘King of Jerusalem’, is portrayed with enormous relish by Gerald Finley, who blusters energetically, but also effectively puts across his clumsy stirrings of love for Almirena; and while from Luba Orgonasova a touch more of the melodramatics would not have hurt, she nevertheless communicates a similar conflict of hard and tender feelings as the fearsome sorceress Armida, Argante’s sidekick and lover who falls for Rinaldo. Slightly less technically secure or forceful than the others (which is hardly a criticism) is Daniel Taylor, but he does well enough with what is the opera’s least effective role as Goffredo’s brother Eustazio. The smaller parts are all well served. Christopher Hogwood’s direction is typically neat and good-mannered. He is not, I dare say, a natural opera conductor - others may have found more magic in the enchanted gardens and more sensuality in the sirens who lure Rinaldo, and you sometimes get the feeling that he is rushing the singers at important moments - but he has an unerring sense of tempo in Handel and the opera as a whole is well paced. The Academy of Ancient Music play to a high standard, backed up by a startlingly virtuoso performance (by the tape editor?) on the Drottningholm thunder machine and by some genuine birdsong at the beginning of Act 2, recalling the fact that live birds were introduced into the theatre at the work’s premiere. "Competition for this recording consists of Jean-Claude Malgoire’s pioneering account from 1977, and from a performance recorded live under John Fisher at La Fenice in 1989. The latter is notable for having an impressive Marilyn Horne in the title-role, but little else; some 50 minutes of music have been cut, and the sound is, at its worst, ‘live’. The former is altogether a better piece of work - it features notable singing from, among others, Carolyn Watkinson as Rinaldo and Ileana Cotrubas as Almirena - but it suffers some less distinguished contributions lower down the cast, as well as from the effects of an ‘early’ baroque orchestra, and in general it treads a bit too carefully throughout. Decca’s newcomer may not be the last word on the opera, but for all-round standard of performance and production it currently wins hands down. This is an important Handel recording, and it will take some beating." |