‘Amor e gelosia’ - Duets from Handel's operas
Patrizia Ciofi sop Joyce Di Donato mez Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis hpd
Virgin Classics 545628-2 Buy now
(74’ · DDD · T/t)
Including: Admeto – Alma mia, dolce ristoro. Atalanta – Amarilli?; Amarilli? Oh Dei! che vuoi?. Faramondo – Del destin non mi lagno…Caro, tu m’accendi. Flavio – Ricordati, mio ben. Muzio Scevola – Vivo senz’alma, o bella. Orlando – Finché prendi. Poro – Caro amico amplesso!; Perfidi! ite del Poro a ricercar nel campo…Se mai più sarò geloso; Se mai turbo il tuo riposo; Act 3, Sinfonia; Lode agli Dei!…Se mai turbo il tuo riposo. Rinaldo – Scherzano sul tuo volto. Rodelinda – Non ti bastò, consorte…Io t’abbraccio. Serse – Gran pena e gelosia!. Sosarme – Per le porte del tormento. Teseo – Addio, mio caro bene. Silla – Mio diletto, che pensi?…Sol per te, bell’idol mio
The duets in Handel’s operas are the special treats, coming at climactic points – most often two lovers’ supposedly final parting or their ultimate reunion. Try ‘Io t’abbraccio’ from Rodelinda or the wonderful ‘Per la porte del tormento’ from Sosarme. We have several pieces from Poro, first the intense little love duet in Act 2, and later the two arias in which Poro and Cleofide swear eternal fidelity – which they fling back at each other when, in a duet we also hear, both believe themselves betrayed. Then there’s the delightful little minor-key duet from Faramondo, the quarrel duet from Atalanta, the charmingly playful piece from Muzio Scevola, and the extraordinary one for the pleading Angelica and the furious, maddened Orlando. Handel’s understanding of the shades and accents of love is something to marvel at.
All are most beautifully sung by Patrizia Ciofi and Joyce DiDonato, who has just the right firmness and focus for a castrato role (as the mezzo voices almost always are here); both phrase beautifully, articulate and express the words clearly and tellingly, and ornament the da capo sections in a natural and tasteful fashion. The accompaniments, done by a chamber group under Alan Curtis with much refined timing of detail, add to the pleasures of this truly delectable CD.
