Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Musica Antigua Aranjuez
Size: 318 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Narcissus: Dio d’amor (duetto)
02. Narcissus: Caro dardo
03. Narcissus: Rivolgo il passo altrove (duetto)
04. Polifemo: Senti il fato
05. Artaxerxes: Pallido il sole
06. Concierto para clave No. 5 en sol menor: Largo
07. Concierto para clave No. 5 en sol menor: Allegro con spirito
08. Concierto para clave No. 5 en sol menor: Adagio
09. Concierto para clave No. 5 en sol menor: Vivace
10. Adriano: Prendi o cara (duetto)
11. Rodelinda: Ombre, piante
12. Rodelinda: Io t’abbraccio (duetto)
13. Rodelinda: Vivi tiranno
14. Rodelinda: Vado e vivo (duetto)
No liner details, no lyrics, no composition details, but still FIVE STARS!
First let me confess that I know absolutely nothing about Spanish.
From my very limited knowledge of Latin, I guess that this album is on arias or duetts (mainly) performed in London by Farinelli and some other soprano.
In this recording which appears to be taken from live performances in the Palacio Real de Aranjuez on 19 or 21st June 2006, the La Tempestad together with soprano Olalla Aleman and counter-tenor Xavier Sabata recorded this disc of spell-bindingly beautiful music.
It appears that the sung excerpts are taken from four operas: ‘Narcissus’; ‘Polifemo’; ‘Artaxerxes”; ‘Adriano’ and ‘Rhodelinda’. Apparently, to me at least, those are operas once performed by Farinelli in London. Whether it is in fact the case that ‘Rhodelinda’ was once performed by Farinelli for Handel is totally unknown to me, though.
Spanish(?) soprano Olalla Aleman is unknown to me. However, her performance here is truly exceptional. Her timbre is silvery and sweet, and she possesses great agility and expressivity, traits that seldom go together in coloratura sopranos of this genre. Her technique is equally impeccable, with good intonation and a consistently keen sense of musicality.
Xavier Sabata I have heard in other recordings. His voice is not classified as ‘mellifluous’, but his singing is of very high quality both in terms of musicality and expressiveness. He also possesses good technique, as some tracks from Narcissus demonstrate.
While I have never heard of La Tempestad, the instrumental tracks as well as the vocal ensemble tracks in this disc carry full conviction of this group’s high competence in the baroque repertoire.
If some one would enlighten me with details concerning this recording, I would be most grateful.