15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Music from the age of Castratos, January 18, 2001
This review is from: La musique au temps des Castrats (Music From the Age of Castratos) (Audio CD)
This is a delightful CD. It is extremely difficult nowadays to reproduce the sound castrato singers where capable of doing at their time and, too often, one finds voices that are too nasal or merely good falsettos. But in many of the performances in this CD one can let the imagination wander and almost imagine you are in the 18th century. In particular, the performance of James Bowmann is outstanding. Also very special the performace of Charpentier 'Salve Regina' by Gerard Lesne and the others; this of course enhanced by the exquisite sensibility of the director Jordi Saval. Also, the duo of Derek Lee Ragin and Ewa Mallas-Godlewska in 'Son qual nave ch'agitata' is so exquisite it brings tears to your eyes. This CD is one of my favorites and I recommend it totallly to lovers of this type of music. It gives a very rounded introduction and a taste for different interpreters. I know that for beginners is a very strange sound and it takes some time getting used to it, but my husband for example, who has never heard music written for castratos before, was astounded when he heard this recording. I am getting this album for him, since I already have mine.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A note, September 7, 2003
This review is from: La musique au temps des Castrats (Music From the Age of Castratos) (Audio CD)
Be advised - the Broschi "Son Qual Nave" is the version from the Farinelli soundtrack! (Not that this is a bad thing!)
Visse, Lesne, and Bowman are all in excellent voice.. Bowman especially surprised me. My only complaint? The CD's too short at 45 minutes!
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