Handel’s hybrid of oratorio and opera fizzes with invention, librettist Charles Jennens’ words the perfect foil for Handel’s fertile imagination. Les Arts Florissants and William Christie have lived long with this rarely recorded masterpiece, which is evident from every bar of this performance. Tenor James Way brings virtuosity and wit to “Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee,” Handel’s tremolo strings brilliantly mirroring the laughter of both soloist and chorus. Equally fine are the arias for Il Penseroso, that Rachel Redmond shapes with grace, sensitivity, and a beguiling pureness of tone.