Composer: George Frideric Handel
Performer: Alfred Deller, William Herbert, Nancy Evans, Margret Ritchie, John Kentish, Helen Watts, Ian Wallace, Saint Anthony Singers
Orchestra: Saint Cecilia Orchestra
Conductor: Anthony Lewis
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Andromeda
Catalogue: ANDRCD5053
Release: 2006
Size: 388 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Handel: Sosarme
CD 01
01. Overture
Act I Scene 1
02. Recitative. Di mio padre al furore (Argone)
Act I Scene 2
03. Aria. Rendi’l sereno al ciglo (Elmira)
Act I Scene 3
04. Recitative. Giusti numi, conforto in tante amare pene? (Erenice)
05. Forte inciampo al suo furore (Erenice, Elmira)
Act I Scene 4
06. Recitative. Melo, mio prence … (Altomaro)
07. Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori farfalla confusa (Altomaro)
08. Recitative. Come pui dell’usato (Sosarme, Melo)
09. Aria. Si, si minaccia, e vinta l’ira (Melo)
Act I Scene 5
10. Recitative. Non più contese … (Haliate)
11. Aria. La turba adulatrice (Haliate)
Act I Scene 6
12. Recitative. Amici, troppo oscuro torpe il valor nascosto! (Argone, Elmira, Erenice)
13. Aria. Dite pace, e fulminate, crudi Cieli! (Elmira)
Act II Scene 1
14. Arioso. Padre, germano, e sposo di voi (Elmira)
15. Recitative. E ben dall’alta torre (Erenice, Elmira)
16. Duet. Se m’ascolti. E udir potrei? (Argone, Erenice)
Act II Scene 2
17. Padre, Signor! (Argone, Erenice)
18. Aria. Se discordia ci disciolse (Italiate)
Act II Scene 3
19. Recitative. E così tu disprezzi la tua propria grandezza? … (Altomaro)
20. Aria. So ch’il Ciel ben spesso gode (Melo)
21. Quanto più Melo ha sdegno (Altomaro)
22. Aria. Sento il cor che lieto gode (Altomaro)
23. Con si bella ferita, caro (Elmira)
CD 02
Act II Scene 4
01. Duet. Per le porte del tormento passan l’anime a gioir! (Sosarme, Elmira)
02. Recitative. Signor, tuo regio sangue di Bellona smorzo l’infausta face (Erenice, Elmira)
Act II Scene 5
03. Aria. Alle sfere della gloria alza i vanni un nobil cor (Sosarme)
04. La pace sdegnerai? (Sosarme)
Act II Scene 6
05. Vado, vado al campo a combatter col pianto (Erenice)
06. Recitative. Mio sposo, ahi qual orror … (Elmira)
07. In mille dolci modi al sen ti stringero (Sosarme)
08. Recitative. Parmi ch’un dolce raggio … (Elmira)
09. Aria. Vola l’augello del caro nido (Elmira)
Act III Scene 1
10. Recitative. Mi segue la Regina, aiuto, o prodi! (Altomaro, Haliate, Erenice)
11. S’io cadro per tuo consiglio (Haliate)
Act III Scene 2
12. Recitative. Melo, dov’e l tuo zelo? … (Erenice)
13. Recitative. Cuor di madre e cuor di moglie (Erenice)
Act III Scene 3
14. Recitative. Per la segreta porta del real giardino (Argone, Elmira, Sosarme)
15. M’opporro da generoso all’indegna orrida impresa (Argone, Elmira, Sosarme)
16. Correte pur a fiumi amare lacrime … (Elmira)
17. Vorrei, ne pur saprei che la speme (Elmira)
18. Altomaro, si renda libero lo steccato (Haliate)
19. Tiene Giove in mano il folgore (Altomaro)
20. Ah, Padre! (Melo)
21. Duet. Tu caro, caro sei il dolce mio tesoro (Elmira)
22. Dopo l’ire si funeste dell’amore splenda la face (Chorus)
This well-aged Sosarme has been around since 1954, when it was first released on Decca and Oiseau-Lyre on LP. It first resurfaced on CD on the Opera d’Oro label, and now has found new life on Urania — a remarkable lifespan for a recording that is now several generations removed from the mainstream of Baroque performance practice. But that isn’t entirely surprising since there is still (as of 2005) only one other competing recording (Newport Classics, starring Drew Minter, John Aler, and Julianne Baird), and it’s a valuable document of Alfred Deller’s groundbreaking work. Deller’s fans will value this release, as will anyone curious to hear just how far performers have come since 1954 in their treatment of Handel’s music. But casual listeners may struggle to enjoy it. The singing is of uneven quality, the approach to recitative is square, and the sound quality is poor even by standards of the 1950s. Nancy Evans’ Erenice is warbly and harsh; tenor John Kentish struggles with the role of Argone; and Ian Wallace, though he tries admirably, can’t quite cope with the wide range and difficulty of the bass villain Altomaro, which was written for the ludicrously gifted Handelian bass Antonio Montagnana. However, Deller delivers a stylistically forward-looking and well focused, if not exactly heroic, reading of Sosarme, and Margaret Ritchie is ravishing as Elmira; her slow and soulful “Rendi ‘l serena al ciglio” from Act I is one of the highlights of the recording. Anthony Lewis’ conducting is admirably clean and emotive, and the most successful moments on the recording are due in large part to his well-chosen tempos. The included libretto is in Italian only, and the program notes are informative but very brief. Unless you’re curious about historical performance practices, or a hardcore Alfred Deller fan, it would be best to try and find the Newport Classics version, which is superior in almost every way.