Customer Reviews

Angelika Kirchschlager - Handel arias

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Angelika Kirchschlager has a committed following among lovers of Baroque music and the release of this superb CD should bring raves of applause from that audience as well as from anyone new to her voice fortunate to hear this fine recital. In excess of an hour of music is on this handsome CD with Kirchschlager magnificently collaborating with Lawrence Cummings conducting the period instrument ensemble of the Kammerorchester Basel.

Included on this recital are some of the more challenging arias from Handel's operas, both familiar and unfamiliar to the audience. From 'Ariodante' she sings 'Qui d'amor', 'T'amerò dunque - Con l'ali di costanza', 'Scherza infida', and 'Dopo notte'. From 'Giulio Cesare in Egitto' she offers 'Svegliatevi nel core', 'Cara speme', and 'L'angue offeso'.

Then in a gracious turn to works by Handel that are rarely performed she presents the cause for exhuming 'Arianna in Creta' with the arias 'Sdegnata sei', 'Oh patria! - Sol ristoro', 'Salda quercia', 'Qual leon', and 'Ove son - Qui ti sfido'. Kirchschlager's usual warmth of timbre and intensely intelligent phrasing brings a sense of the new to every one of these arias. This is a splendid recording and one that deserves very wide attention. Grady Harp, November 06

Few serious Handel fans missed William Christie's recent DVD recording of Giulio Ceasre featuring Sarah Connolly - even fewer who missed it were also fans of Angelika Kirchschlager, who sang the role of Sesto. I liked her in that role: an angry boy/man orignially written for a female performer (I do not care to quibble as to whether that role was "really" a soprano's or a mezzo's). Her focus and drama and physical presence combining such boyishness and femininity were perfect.
I was perfectly ready to love this CD ("When Night Falls" is nearly perfect) since like Anne Sophie von Otter, she is not really capable of singing a bad note or phrase. And yet where von Otter's Ariodante compells with its true androgyny (consult my review of that recording under Minkowski's baton), Kirchschlager's version fails to thrill me.
Similarly the Arianna in Creta pieces (again, see my other review of that recording), I simply do not believe in the masculinity of this incarnation.
My message to Ms. Kirchschlager: you are one of great female singers of your range, starting with von Stade and carrying through von Otter, Kozena, Genaux, and others (I'll leave Hunt of this list for being in an über-category). Some of these women wear pants roles cheekily, and some uncannily. Know which one you are, great singer that you are.