Händel: Ariodante
Alan Curtis
Il Complesso Barocco
Joyce DiDonato, Karina Gauvin, Sabina Puertolas, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Topi Lehtipuu
“But the singing is the glory of the set: Joyce DiDonato confirms her reputation as the finest Handelian mezzo-soprano of the day with a magnificent princely reading of the title role.” ~ The Telegraph
“As for DiDonato, it seems impossible to imagine this role sung better: she’s no stranger to the ferocious technical demands of music written for the iron-lunged castrati so it goes without saying that she despatches the endless reams of fearsome coloratura with consummate panache, but her opening aria ‘Con l’ali di costanza’ still took my breath away on first hearing! In the two great laments (‘Scherza, infida’ and ‘Cieca notte’) she’s utterly heartbreaking, with each repetition of a phrase or section conveying a subtle shift in emotion so that the dramatic tension never flags.” ~ Presto Classical
Read Joyce’s blogs about the recording process of “Ariodante”:
“Aaaaaa” (January 4, 2010)
“You call this mercy” (January 5, 2010)
“Into the blind night” (January 6, 2010)
“On the wings of love…” (January 7, 2010)
Joyce DiDonato shines on this recording of Handel's love-focused opera. Supported by a strong cast, this is a triumph.
The Sunday Times
Album info
Release date: May 16, 2011
Number of Discs: 3
Format: Box set
Label: Erato
ASIN: B004Q84Z0S