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Music : Handel: Operatic Arias .
Rating: 
- Dodgy engineering?
This is a wonderful CD -- fantastic singer, beautiful compositions, superlative orchestration. I have several Norrington projects and they rank among the favorites of my collection.
But...
The sound quality is such that I have to turn my speakers up *a lot* to hear the music. Any other CD is good at half the level I must use for this one. I don't know how it happened that the volume is so faint that I must crank up the speakers to hear it properly.
Sound notwithstanding, it's wonderful music that will increase your appreciation of Handel. If not for the sound issue, I would have given it 5 stars.
Rating:
- Great music, great singer.
This is a sublime disc and should encourage anyone who is new to this reportoire to explore it more. Handel wrote a huge number of Italian operas and here we have just the tip of a gigantic iceberg. Many arias on display come from Handel's most dramatic piece, Giulio Caesare but there is also the famous Ombra mai fu as well as pieces from the equally wonderful Rodelinda, Tamerlano, Rinaldo and Ariodante. All the pieces are beautifully sung and perfectly recorded. The voice of the Counter-tenor (top of the scale male voice) is perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but I would hope that the great singing here would convert a few people. I find Daniels is the most apealing of the many 'new' counter tenors out at the moment. I have versions of most of these pieces sung by mezzo-soprano (all themselves brilliantly sung) and whilst Daniels doesn't perhaps have the punch of a mezzo, his versions here compare favourably. His 'Scherza infida' is my favourite. The fact that this disc is often on my player despite having other versions of the pieces and knowing them very well, shows what an outstanding issue it is. I now have three of Daniel's solo discs. They are all wonderful though perhaps this is my favourite.
Rating: - Daniels and Handel in perfect harmony.
The problem with countertenors, well some of them anyway, is that the sound they make is not always the easiest on the ear and have resulted in some bad press for them. When it comes to David Daniels and his voice - well that is something quite different all together. I first heard David Daniels, on a sampler from Virgin, singing "Vivo, Tiranno" from Handels opera - Rinaldo and I must have played it a dozens times for the unbelievably beautiful voice and the "right" sound for Handel. Well, you can imagine my delight when this CD was released, could not wait to hear what the rest of the CD sounded like. Whether you are looking for an introduction to Handel, baroque music, countertenors ( one word of warning though, once you have experienced David Daniels voice there is no competition) or just a beautiful voice this is the CD for you. It contains some of Handels most famous arias and includes such beauties as - "Ombra Mai Fu" from Xerxes, "Va Tacito E Nascosto" and "Aure, Deh Per Pieta"(this is particulary stunning, as the voice is so natural and warm) from Giulio Cesare, "Dove Sei" from Rodelinda, "Sherza Infida" from Ariodante and the hauntigly beautiful "Cara Sposa, Amante Bene" from Rinaldo as well. The program is well chosen to show the spectacular range and the beauty of his voice and it would be easy to imagine David Daniels in any of these Handel roles on stage....I saw him in Rinaldo and he was absolutely fantastic...more please!
It would be difficult to pick out favourite tracks, but try any of the ones mentioned above and I think you will be convinced. The whole programme is brought together by the excellent conductor Sir Roger Norrington and the playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment. A real joy of CD.
Rating: - An angels voice!
Indeed, David Daniels sublime voice, perfectly controlled and never over-reached, is masterly. The 'Scherza Infida' is transportingly beautiful.
- Dodgy engineering?This is a wonderful CD -- fantastic singer, beautiful compositions, superlative orchestration. I have several Norrington projects and they rank among the favorites of my collection.
But...
The sound quality is such that I have to turn my speakers up *a lot* to hear the music. Any other CD is good at half the level I must use for this one. I don't know how it happened that the volume is so faint that I must crank up the speakers to hear it properly.
Sound notwithstanding, it's wonderful music that will increase your appreciation of Handel. If not for the sound issue, I would have given it 5 stars.
Rating:
- Great music, great singer.This is a sublime disc and should encourage anyone who is new to this reportoire to explore it more. Handel wrote a huge number of Italian operas and here we have just the tip of a gigantic iceberg. Many arias on display come from Handel's most dramatic piece, Giulio Caesare but there is also the famous Ombra mai fu as well as pieces from the equally wonderful Rodelinda, Tamerlano, Rinaldo and Ariodante. All the pieces are beautifully sung and perfectly recorded. The voice of the Counter-tenor (top of the scale male voice) is perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but I would hope that the great singing here would convert a few people. I find Daniels is the most apealing of the many 'new' counter tenors out at the moment. I have versions of most of these pieces sung by mezzo-soprano (all themselves brilliantly sung) and whilst Daniels doesn't perhaps have the punch of a mezzo, his versions here compare favourably. His 'Scherza infida' is my favourite. The fact that this disc is often on my player despite having other versions of the pieces and knowing them very well, shows what an outstanding issue it is. I now have three of Daniel's solo discs. They are all wonderful though perhaps this is my favourite.
Rating:
- Daniels and Handel in perfect harmony.The problem with countertenors, well some of them anyway, is that the sound they make is not always the easiest on the ear and have resulted in some bad press for them. When it comes to David Daniels and his voice - well that is something quite different all together. I first heard David Daniels, on a sampler from Virgin, singing "Vivo, Tiranno" from Handels opera - Rinaldo and I must have played it a dozens times for the unbelievably beautiful voice and the "right" sound for Handel. Well, you can imagine my delight when this CD was released, could not wait to hear what the rest of the CD sounded like. Whether you are looking for an introduction to Handel, baroque music, countertenors ( one word of warning though, once you have experienced David Daniels voice there is no competition) or just a beautiful voice this is the CD for you. It contains some of Handels most famous arias and includes such beauties as - "Ombra Mai Fu" from Xerxes, "Va Tacito E Nascosto" and "Aure, Deh Per Pieta"(this is particulary stunning, as the voice is so natural and warm) from Giulio Cesare, "Dove Sei" from Rodelinda, "Sherza Infida" from Ariodante and the hauntigly beautiful "Cara Sposa, Amante Bene" from Rinaldo as well. The program is well chosen to show the spectacular range and the beauty of his voice and it would be easy to imagine David Daniels in any of these Handel roles on stage....I saw him in Rinaldo and he was absolutely fantastic...more please!
It would be difficult to pick out favourite tracks, but try any of the ones mentioned above and I think you will be convinced. The whole programme is brought together by the excellent conductor Sir Roger Norrington and the playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment. A real joy of CD.
Rating:
- An angels voice!Indeed, David Daniels sublime voice, perfectly controlled and never over-reached, is masterly. The 'Scherza Infida' is transportingly beautiful.
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