Tuesday 27 January 2009

An evening with Mozart opera arias and the phenomenal Diana Damrau. My main impulse for buying the CD -- which is somewhat off the beaten track for me -- was the number of rave reviews. For once, I agree with the reviews. I was particularly struck by the resemblance here between Mozart and Handel (or, probably more accurately, between Mozart and late baroque). The same glorious melodic gift as Handel; the same voice-hugging accompaniments. It makes you realise just how far Johann Sebastian Bach was from the mainstream, with his complex counterpoint and polyphony.

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