The scope and grandeur of
Handel's operatic output -- the musical variety and inventiveness, the depth of psychological insight, as well as the sheer volume of works -- continue to astonish as new operas are brought to light and more familiar works are given productions and recordings that do justice to the material. Ariodante, written in 1735, is nowhere nearly as frequently performed as the more famous operas like Giulio Cesare, but neither is it entirely obscure, and there have been several very fine modern recordings. This version with
Alan Curtis leading
Il Complesso Barocco can be recommended without reservation to anyone coming to the opera for the first time or for anyone who's already a fan. It's sonically impeccable, with full, spacious sound that's at the same time intimate and finely detailed.
Curtis has a sure grip on the opera's depths of passion and its dramatic trajectory -- the libretto, by Antonio Salvi, based on an episode from Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," is one of the most direct and emotionally potent that the composer set -- and he brings the urgency of the story vividly to life. The superb cast is fully invested in the characters and performs with unguarded intensity. In the title role mezzo-soprano
Joyce DiDonato sings with sumptuous tone, acrobatic agility, and penetrating dramatic honesty; this is a performance that even further cements her standing as one of the outstanding singing actresses of her time. The rest of the cast is very much in the same league; sopranos
Karina Gauvin and Sabina Puértolas, bass Matthew Brook, and tenors Topi Lehtipuu and
Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani have gorgeous voice and sure dramatic instincts, and contralto
Marie Nicole Lemieux, with a voice and temperament that call
Marilyn Horne to mind, practically steals the show as the villainous Duke of Alba.
Il Complesso Barocco contributes as much as the singers, not only to the richly textured musical fabric but to the surging dramatic momentum. Highly recommended for fans of Baroque opera and of dazzling bel canto singing.