Handel Ariodante Hunt Gondek Saffer Lane Muller Cavalier Freiburg McGegan

Performer-George Frideric Handel; Composer-Lorraine Hunt; Conductor-Lisa Saffer; Performer-Nicholas McGegan; Performer-Freibruger Baroqueorchester; Performer-Jennifer Lane; Orchestra-Rufus Müller; Performer-Nicolas Cavallier; Performer-Juliana Gondek (Author)

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Harmonia Mundi
• ASIN: B0000007ET
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,989 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This recording is an excellent place to start in acquiring an appreciation of Handel's operas, with the outstanding mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt in the title role and leading a fine cast that includes soprano Juliana Gondek, mezzo Jennifer Lane, and bass Nicolas Cavallier. The plot--an only slightly convoluted tale of true love put to the test by scheming villainy--stands up better than many stories set by the likes of Verdi and Bellini, and Handel had longer than usual to write the music, a fact which shows in the opera's low clunker-to-gold ratio. There is not a weak voice in the cast, and McGegan leads the singers and the Freiburger Barockorchester with idiomatic flair; alternative scenes are provided for those who just can't get enough. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious singing - a baroque masterpiece, April 18, 2002

By	Ed Beveridge (London, England) - See all my reviews

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.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinaria, August 1, 2000

By	Homero Gac (Santiago, Chile) - See all my reviews

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

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sensational recording!, May 10, 2000

By	J. Luis Juarez Echenique "pepechenique" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.