The Sorceress

George Frideric Handel (Composer), Christopher Hogwood (Conductor), The Academy of Ancient Music (Orchestra), Kiri Te Kanawa (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa
• Orchestra: The Academy of Ancient Music
• Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
• Composer: George Frideric Handel
• Audio CD (May 10, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B00000415G
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,632 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rinaldo: Overture

2. Rinaldo: Lascia ch'io pianga

3. Alcina: Overture

4. Giulio Cesare: Tu la mia stella sei

5. Amadigi: Sinfonia

6. Giulio Cesare: Sinfonia - V'adoro, pupille

7. Ariodante: Ballo - Musette

8. Agrippina: Bel piacere

9. Admeto: Sinfonia

10. Amadigi: Mi deride l'amante - Destero dall'empia Dite

11. Alcina: Ah! Ruggiero crudel - Ombre pallide

12. Giustino: Adagio

13. Giulio Cesare: Non disperar

14. Giulio Cesare: Piangero la sorte mia

15. Alcina: Menuet

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than you feared...., February 18, 2009

By 

Ralph Moore "Ralph operaphile" (Bishop's Stortford, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sorceress (Audio CD)

At first glance, this disc has the look of something rather cheesy, cobbled together for a diva no longer quite in her prime and aimed at an undiscriminating market.

It's nothing of the sort. It's a judicious compilation of Handelian plums, cleverly themed and artfully linked, and thus striking a pleasing balance between unrelated highlights and a complete, coherent programme. It is gorgeously sung by Kiri Te Kanawa, sounding more animated and impassioned than I have ever heard her. Her technique is absolutely secure and the voice still has all the sheen and flexibility which brought her to fame. The "Giulio Cesare" numbers, in particular, are superb. A lovely disc for Baroque fanciers and Kiri fans alike; what a pity that it is currently unavailable. Buy a copy on Amazon Marketplace and enjoy some beautiful singing and very stylish orchestral playing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handel, August 27, 2001

By 

"puccinigirl" (Shawnee, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sorceress (Audio CD)

It's a shame that this is not currently available. It's a wonderful collection of Handel arias for Soprano. While I usually find Handel a bit on the boring side, this is really an entertaining collection. There is quite a bit of instrumental music, aside from the arias, which is wonderfully done. Kiri brings her usual gorgeous voice to the recording. She also does a nice job of interpretation, something she often lacks unfortunately. Highly recommended!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kiri's finest..., April 17, 2002

By 

burritobrother (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Sorceress (Audio CD)

Well, although I've been a Kiri fan for some years, I haven't heard everything she's done. But from a pretty nice Kiri Te Kanawa personal collection, this has been my favorite since the day I first bought it. Kiri's voice has long been one of the most beautiful in the world of opera, but here she just 'cuts loose' (to use a very non-purist term) and she's never been better. Her voice is deeply sensual as well as flawless, easily her greatest performance from what I've heard. I'm glad this exceptional work is available as an import. Anyone who considers themselves a Kiri fan absolutely must have "The Sorceress".