Handel - Floridante [Curtis] 3CD

Fabulous arias and duets tumble out of the tale of lust and violence. In Alan Curtis¿s reconstruction of the original score, Joyce DiDonato and Roberta Invernizzi share the top vocal honours . . . Virile playing from Il Complesso Barocco. (Geoff Brown, The Times (London) / 02. March 2007)

It crackles with dramatic energy from the opening bars of the overture onwards. In the political and sexual power-plays so typical of Handel's operas of the 1720s, the mezzo Marijana Mijanovic takes the title role of the Prince of Thrace, with Joyce DiDonato as his lover Elmira and Vito Priante as Oronte, the rival for Elmira's hand, all of them on top form. (Andrew Clements, The Guardian (London) / 02. March 2007)

This is the one to have . . . above all for DiDonato¿s fabulous Elmira, but the rest of the cast – headed by Marijana Mijanovic¿s Floridante and Sharon Rostorf-Zamir¿s Rossane – is excellent, too. (The Sunday Times (London) / 25. March 2007)

The story is a lively one . . . and Curtis¿s conducting . . . is suitably exciting . . . Joyce DiDonato is excellent as the love interest Elmira, Baritone Vito Priante is wonderfully blustery as the incestuous king, and Sharon Rostorf Zamir is fresh-voiced as the flighty Rossanne. (Warwick Thompson , Metro / 30. March 2007)

. . . this recording, directed by Alan Curtis with understanding and dramatic flair, is welcome . . . Roberta Invernizzi brings charm to Timante's arias, while Joyce DiDonato is outstanding as Elmira, flame-toned in her rejection of the tyrant Oronte's grotesque advances, sensuous in her love for Floridante. (Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph (London) / 31. March 2007)

With lots of well-crafted arias – the two female leads especially are given some delightful music – the work moves at a sprightly pace, aided by Curtis¿s clean conducting style and a talented cast. (Alexander Bryce, Scotsman on Sunday / 01. April 2007)

In the title-role, Mijanovic's tone is so dark-hued, fascinatingly so, that one might think occasionally that a male alto is holding sway . . . One really does feel Elmira's reactions through DiDonato's singing . . . DiDonato and Vito Priante deliver the recitative with an intensity that encapsulates their position, then DiDonato spews out Elmira's fury in the aria 'Barbaro, t'odio a morte'. Her voice is so different from Mijanovic's deeper one that there is no danger of mistaking ne for the other, yet how well they complement each other in the splendid duet which concludes Act 1 . . . The two men also make a good impression. Priante well conveys Oronte's malevolence and sings in rich tone, unfazed by the range of the role. What a shame Handel provided Coralbo with only one aria, for Richard Novaro performs it fleetly, fluently and in focused tone. (John T. Hughes, International Record Review (London) / 01. April 2007)

. . . psychologically penetrating performance of Joyce DiDonato, among the best Handel singers of our day . . . The other singer to approach DiDonato's level is Roberta Invernizzi, who sings the pants off the light trouser-role of Timante . . . Il Complesso Barocco . . . has never sounded better or more dramatically incisive. This could easily turn out to be the Handel recording of the year . . . (Tim Pfaff , Bay Area Reporter / 12. April 2007)

American mezzo Joyce DiDonato is the chief reason for adding this rarity to your collection of Handel operas. Fine as the other soloists are, as, indeed, is the playing of Alan Curtis's sleek ensemble, DiDonato is outstanding as Elmira . . . (Anthony Holden, Observer (London) / 15. April 2007)

. . . This recreation has much to commend it: the balance of voices between the two female leads is certainly affecting, and the work . . . moves at a sprightly pace, aided by Curtis¿s clean conducting style and a talented cast. (Alexander Bryce, Scotsman on Sunday / 29. April 2007)

. . . their instrumental contributions are always judicious. The brooding yet lively performance of the magnificent overture sets the tone for a performance which frequently brings out the inventive genius of Handle's writing. The pacing and rhetoric of the music is intelligently delivered throughout the performance, and . . . the cast is remarkably excellent: Joyce DiDonato's silvery singing is beautiful, stylish, dramatically astute yet unforced; her first contributions are matched by comparable quality from the light-voiced Sharon Rostorf-Zamir; Vito Priante smoulders with menacing villainy as Oronte; Roberta Invernizzi navigates the role of the disguised hero Timante with style and charm, and combines to wonderful effect with Rostorf-Zamir in the spellbinding duet "Fuor di periglio". Curtis certainly reveals that "Floridante" is a compelling and richly rewarding opera, and Handelians should not hesitate to add this to their collection. (David Vickers, Gramophone (London) / 01. May 2007)

Joyce DiDonato, although a mezzo, has not the slightest perceptible difficulty with the music conceived for Durastanti and contributes a sterling performance to be numbered among her many recent successes. She reacts with apt fury to Oronte's unseemly behaviour, and later, when her cause seems hopeless, sings with touching resignation Elmira's arioso 'Notte cara', one of three instances in which Handel frames recitative with matching lyrical utterances by Elmira in a quasi-da capo manner. Marijana Mijanovic's rich contralto serves handsomely in the Senesino role . . . Sharon Rostorf-Zamir and Roberta Invernizzi sing it with unfailing grace, not least in a captivating duet with soothing horns in the accompaniment. Vito Priante invests the lecherous Oronte with resonant bass tones incisively deployed, and Riccardo Novaro does well as the satrap Coralbo . . . Curtis . . . deserves as one of our finest conductors of Baroque opera. Plaudits also to the harpsichordist Andrea Perugi, whose fine playing, at times supplemented by theorbo, demonstrates the superfluity of a broader ranges of continuo instruments. (George Loomis, Opera (London) / 01. June 2007)

. . . a pulsating score conducted with dramatic intensity and clear narrative purpose by Alan Curtis. (Rick Jones, Classic FM (London) / 01. June 2007)

. . . these new recordings have particular authority, with performers who all sound like they're speaking Handel-ese as a first language . . . The cast for the three-disc "Floridante" is known and loved by anyone who collects Alan Curtis recordings, with the significant addition of relative newcomer Sharon Rostorf-Zamir: The voice, the dramatic sensibility and her way with vocal ornaments suggest a major new personality has arrived. (David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer / 21. July 2007)

Her vocal and artistic profile seems well reflected in the modern person of Joyce DiDonato, whose warmly expressive mezzo-soprano voice easily encompasses Handel's low-lying soprano roles. In addition, DiDonato brings excellent musicianship, command of style and emotional truth to her singing, putting her in the forefront of current Handelians . . . DiDonato makes the most of each dramatic moment . . . Marijana Mijanovic brings her very individual vocalism to the title role . . . her artistry is impeccable, her delivery always arresting . . . Mijanovic manages to enliven the role, and her scenes with DiDonato crackle with excitement . . . Vito Priante is not afraid to show Oronte's lecherous and monstrous nature, and he brings authoritative and dramatic singing to the otherwise treble-dominated cast. Archiv's decision to allow Curtis three discs, rather than forcing him to cram the work onto two, results in tempos and pacing that accord the work its full and balanced dramatic scope. (Judith Malafronte, Opera News (New York) / 01. December 2007)

. . . this is a highly successful traversal of the opera¿s score. Curtis is, as ever, a remarkably fine stylist who never loses track of the innate theatricality of the score. He is capable of great rhythmic verve and articulation . . . Curtis knows that the exhilaration a listener feels from hearing great singing derives not merely from agility at reckless tempos . . . but from expressiveness, tonal quality, and sustained length of line, as well. (Barry Brenesal, Fanfare (Tenafly, NJ) / 01. January 2008)