Handel: Complete Cantata, Volume 2

George Frideric Handel (Composer), Salvo Vitale (Conductor), Contrasto Armonico (Orchestra), Stefanie True (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Stefanie True
• Orchestra: Contrasto Armonico
• Conductor: Salvo Vitale
• Composer: George Frideric Handel
• Audio CD (February 9, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Brilliant Classics
• ASIN: B0033BJSMY
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,895 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Recitativo. Un'alma innamorata

2. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Aria. Quel povero core

3. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Recitativo. E pur benché egli veda

4. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Aria. Io godo, rido e spero

5. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Recitativo. In quanto a me

6. Un' alma innamorata, cantata, HWV 173: Aria. Ben impari come s'ama

7. O luceniti, o sereni occhi, cantata for soprano, HWV 144: Recitativo. O lucenti, o sereni occhi

8. O luceniti, o sereni occhi, cantata for soprano, HWV 144: Aria. Per voi languisco e moro

9. O luceniti, o sereni occhi, cantata for soprano, HWV 144: Recitativo. Messaggiero verace

10. O luceniti, o sereni occhi, cantata for soprano, HWV 144: Aria. In voi, pupille ardenti

11. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Recitativo. Del bell'idolo mio

12. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Aria. Formidabil gondoliero

13. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Recitativo. Ma se non la rinvengo

14. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Aria. Piangeṛ

15. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Recitativo. Fra quell'orride soglie

16. Del bel idolo mio, cantata for bass, HWV 104: Aria. So rendetemi colei

17. Aure soavi e liete, cantata, HWV 84: Recitativo. Aure soavi e liete

18. Aure soavi e liete, cantata, HWV 84: Aria. Care luci

19. Aure soavi e liete, cantata, HWV 84: Recitativo. Pietà, Clori, pietà

20. Aure soavi e liete, cantata, HWV 84: Aria. Un'aura flebile

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Handel Gems, June 12, 2010

By 

Paul Van de Water (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handel: Complete Cantata, Volume 2 (Audio CD)

This disc is the second in one of two ongoing projects that aim to record many or all of Handel's cantatas. The other is a full-price series on Glossa with La Risonanza. This series on Brilliant Classics is fully competitive--and considerably less expensive.

Brilliant is a Dutch-based company that has re-released many earlier recordings in big budget boxes (for example, the complete Haydn symphonies and the complete Mozart). Now it is making its own recordings, and the results in this case are delightful.

This is the fourth release by Contrasto Armonico, an early music orchestra with roots at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Previous recordings include Handel's "Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo," "La Resurrezione," and the first volume of cantatas Complete Cantatas 1. All feature Canadian soprano Stephanie True, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory. The Amazon reviews of these other recordings have been very favorable.

This disc includes two solo cantatas with instrumental accompaniment ("Un'alma inamorata" and "Tra le fiamme") and three with continuo alone ("O lucenti, o sereni occhi," "Del bell'idolo mio," and "Aure soavi e liete"). The first two are available in several other recordings, but the performances by True and her colleagues are every bit the equal of those by bigger names (such as Kirkby's "Tra la fiamma"). The latter three cantatas are currently available only here, and we owe True, Contrasto Armonico, and Brilliant a great debt of gratitude for bringing these Handel gems to CD.

Although this CD is sold at a modest price, it is not a cheap production. The jewel case includes a 20-page brochure with full Italian-English texts and detailed notes by MIT Handel scholar Ellen Harris.

Addendum (October 10, 2011: Volume 3 in this series, featuring Aminta e Fillide, is now available: Handel: Complete Cantatas, Vol. 3.