Handel's operas and
oratorios are a goldmine of good tunes and memorable arias. Wandering
through my collection of recordings this evening, happy chance saw me
taking out a CD of operatic duets from Handel's operas, recorded 15
years ago by Patrizia Ciofi (soprano) and Joyce DiDonato
(mezzo). The late Alan Curtis directs Il Complesso Barocco,
and Virgin turns out a first-class recording. Which is really just
what you need for Handel: first-class singers, a first-class band,
expert direction, and a well-balanced recording. The music does the
rest.
The two singers are
superb, and a mezzo-soprano such as DiDonato spares us the
embarrassment of a counter-tenor or a castrato. 73 minutes of pure
gold. Handel never fails.
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