Opus 111 has carved out a distinctive niche by producing first-class recordings of unusual Italian Baroque gems, although the first disc above, a brave disc of Italian chamber vocal music, is not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless, any collaboration between Sara Mingardo and Rinaldo Alessandrini is destined to be special. The disc opens with Merula’s Hor ch’è tempo di dormire, a poignant and personal expression of Mary’s grief over the crucified Christ. In the haunting and introspective performance of Salvatore’s pastoral cantata Allor che Tirsi udia, Mingardo’s hushed evocation of a dying lover’s final moments is worth the price of the disc alone.Monica Bacelli has been drafted in for Monteverdi’s duet ‘Vorrei baciarti’, and Alessandrini has composed several instrumental realisations to flesh out the continuo skeleton of a few pieces. Alongside precious rarities by famous masters, Mingardo gives spellbinding performances of intimate works by Carissimi and Legrenzi. An extended scene from Cavalli’s La Calisto is the ideal demonstration of how the Baroque singer’s art ought to be both gorgeous and intense, and Handel’s seldom recorded cantata Lungi da me pensier tiranno is wonderful, with magnificent continuo from Alessandrini and cellist Luca Peverini. It almost goes without saying that Mingardo’s Vivaldi is superb. The long booklet-note about the history of the alto voice is erudite, but it would have been gratifying to learn something about the obscure composers included in this dark yet delightful recital.

The delectable sampler ‘Contralto’ features extracts from Mingardo’s previous recordings with Concerto Italiano. Her excellence shines through at every moment: eloquent poignancy in three moving settings of the Stabat mater, the colourful and extrovert emotion in Vivaldi’s Cessate, omai cessate, and the charismatic beauty of Handel’s first oratorio. ‘Mentre dormi’, from Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade, is a ravishing delight.

Lovers of Baroque singing should not miss these performances.