Customer Reviews

Handel: Ariodante

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK - my turn to join the McGegan - Minkowski debate. This is the first Ariodante I heard on disc (having already encountered the piece in the theatre). For those not familiar with it, it is set in the dark and forbidding world of mediaeval Scotland. The King's daughter (Ginevra) is set to marry a vassal prince, Ariodante. His rival in love, Polinesso, Duke of Albany, convinces Ariodante that Ginevra is unfaithful and Ariodante commits suicide. Or does he? As soon as Polinesso claims the hand of the distracted Ginevra, Ariodante reappears - and they all live happily ever after.

Or they would if this weren't a dark and deeply disturbing work. It is a procession of simply stunning arias and unusually the act ends consist of dances which thread through the work. It really is Handel's best music - Ariodante's ten-minute showstopper, Scherza Infida (with glorious bassoon obbligato) and Ginevra's achingly simple plea to her cruel father, Io ti bacio, are among the greatest glories of the Baroque.

And there is no shortage of Baroque specialists to do the work justice. McGegan's recording is based on a production from the Swedish Gottingen festival, and it is very much a period-style set, with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra giving an extremely tight, almost austere performance. McGegan's tempi are almost magically correct, without seeming middle of the road and never rushing the singers. The dance music's internal pulses are unerringly caught.

He fields a fine and in some cases exceptional cast of baroque singers, many of them familiar from Harmonia Mundi's other Handel recordings. Rightly, the title character stands at the centre in a searingly complete performance from Lorraine Hunt (now Lorraine Hunt Lieberson). Without the glorious vocal endowment of others (eg Von Otter) she sings a technically perfect and fabulously musical hero, her naturally dark and melancholy sound just right for this introspective character. Her coloratura is flawless without ever being showy for the sake of it. It's a truly great performance and bears repeated hearings for the sheer expressive detail she finds. Jennifer Land, as Polinesso, provides a creepily assured villain, descending to the baritone depths with aplomb. Juliana Gondek is agile and touching as Ginevra, a slightly anonymous tone aside, and Lisa Saffer gives a rounded portrayl of the perfidious Dalinda - with bell-like, rounded tone.

Altogether this is a very classy set indeed. For me, it is the best available, though there are others running very close (eg Minkowski - of which more elsewhere). For a truly glorious Baroque recording, don't hesitate.

This is one of the finest recordings ever made of a Handel opera, and a great vehicle for the star mezzosoprano. Lorraine Hunt has turned into one of the great singers of our time, and as Ariodante she shines with confidence through out this very demanding role. She has nothing to fear to Anne Sofie von Otter in the rival Minkowski recording, for voice quality both are stupendous instruments, but Hunt is even more stylish than Otter in the fioriture of the da capo arias. The rest of the cast is admirable even if Minkowski has the finer Ginevra in Lynne Dawson, but McGegan has the better orchestra in the crack Freiburger Barockorchester, one of the very best period bands around. McGegan reading is more relaxed but no less exciting than Minkowski, who certainly rushes tempos more than is needed. Both recordings serve Handel well, but I think the Harmonia Mundi is the best library choice.

In short, this is an excellent recording of a fine Handel opera. Lorraine Hunt is superb in her singing and characterization. One of the major surprises for me was the menacing characterization and the beautiful singing of Jennifer Lane. The cast was chosen well and blended terrifically. Buy this CD!!

En una intérpretación magistral Lorraine Hunt logra una delicadeza aun superior a la de mitos handelianos como Dame Jane Baker, asestando un fraseo y una claridad que logran su punto cúlmine en arias como "Col alli di costanza" o "scherza infida". Nicolas mcgegan con su solidez habitual imprime velocidad en los allegros y dulzura inaudita en los tiempos más lentos respetando las formas barrocas con entera propiedad. Destacable tambien el resto del elenco con Juliana Gondiek brillante en su papel de Polinesso con arias increíbles como "coperta la frode.." y el tenor en "Il tuo sangue". Punto aparte para el bajo que como rey inflama de aires reales un aria excepcional como "Volli con la sua tromba". En resumen la magnificencia handeliana en un registro donde el sello Harmonia Mundi no ha escatimado esfuerzos para lograr una obra de extremo virtuosismo

In short, this is an excellent recording of a fine Handel opera. Lorraine Hunt is superb in her singing and characterization. One of the major surprises for me was the menacing characterization and the beautiful singing of Jennifer Lane. The cast was chosen well and blended terrifically. Buy this CD!!

A very strong performance, beautiful music, excellent cast. An informative booklet includes a lot of pictures from the stage production of this opera at the Göttingen Händel Festival. Although the recording was made in a studio subsequent to the live performances, the experiences with the live drama readily carried over into the studio vaults. Lorraine Hunt shines in the low-tessitura part of Ariodante. Yet, I would have much preferred a countertenor Ariodante. Casting a female alto in a male role was by no means unknown in Händel's times, so my objection is not historical but purely idiosyncratic. To me, there is not only a psychological, but also a vocal, benefit that only a male voice can provide. To hear what a talented countertenor can do with a castrato part, check out Händel Giustino, also directed by McGegan (with some of the same performers as here, + Chance & Padmore).

Handel Ariodante Hunt Gondek Saffer Lane Muller Cavalier Freiburg McGegan is a very fine recorind with under the direction of the accomplished conductor Nicholas McGegan. Freiburger Barochorchester certainly know how to play Handel and the result is nothing short of splendid. The singers for this production is truly astounding and vocalists like for instance Lorraine Hunt truly is treat to hear. Harmoni mundi have done a great job with booklet; it contains many fine photographs, a very-well written essay on the opera itself by Mark W. Stahura, and a short synopsis by Frank Hammond. This recording I give 5 out of 5 stars.

This recording certainly shows Lorraine Hunt at her best. Her voice it frighteningly expressive. It is strong, stylish, deep. Excellent recording, not only because of her.

Ariodante is one of the most beautiful Handel operas - and it is, as most Baroque operas, a vehicle for great singers. And this is exactly where this set loses - none of the performances are bad, no, they are all perfectly acceptable, but they simply cannot stand comparison to the more accomplished set by Mark Minkowski. Take only Lorraine Hunt vs. Anne Sofie von Otter - to me, it seems Ms. Hunt is too busy coping with the enormous difficulties of the Ariodante pieces and so cannot give the phrases the meaning they require. Ms. von Otter's singing is in general A LOT more precise, with all the semiquavers perfectly articulated (which is probably the way this music should be sung - the single notes in long runs clearly separated - this is after all a castrato part and Ms. von Otter's androgynous voice is perfectly suited to this part). The same is also valid for most of the other singers - Minkowski's are generally much more accomplished.

As far as the conducting is concerned, I must admit that Minkowski is usually "on the fast side", but to my mind it works out extremely well and the opera profits from it. McGegan is usually taking a slower approach, one piece excepted: his "Scherza infida" is considerably faster than Minkowski's, the innate melancholy quality of the piece is therefore quite spoiled.

To summarize - if you want a brilliant Ariodante, Minkowski must be your only choice.