There are worse ways of spending a Sunday morning in January than listening to a new CD from Sandrine Piau on which she sings Handel arias of what someone once called “Handel's lovelorn sorceresses”. Now an incredible 56 years old, Piau sings like a lovelorn angel, with no apparent vocal weaknesses. The sad or dramatic arias (depending on the mood of the sorceress) are mainly well known; after over 250 years of being sung over and over again, they enable the listener to bask in Handel's genius for melody and mood. Handel's music has always been a happy hunting ground for singers who revel in the baroque era, and many of the arias on this new CD have been included in similar compilations by singers such as Joyce DiDonato, and Simone Kermes. Piau, now in full maturity, enters fully into the spirit of each aria, and I enjoyed her singing very much indeed. The recital ends with a moving rendition of Lascia ch'io pianga from Rinaldo.
With the title “Enchantresses”, the CD from Alpha-Classics also features movements from two of Handel's concerti grossi, all played by Les Paladins under the direction of Jérôme Correas. I love Handel's music and was so keen to buy this latest CD from Sandrine Piau that I inadvertently ordered and received two copies. The recording is OK, but on my equipment suffers from the usual problem that if I adjust the sound so the band plays clearly, the singer – recorded too close – blows your socks off.
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