Handel was in his twenties when he traveled throughout Italy, producing some of the Baroque era’s most exciting, colorful music for his patrons. These cantatas—effectively mini-operas with one or two characters and performed in aristocratic homes—were only recently rediscovered, having remained unpublished for 300 years. They’re vintage Handel: Aminta e Fillide, telling of a shepherd’s love for a shepherdess, features some of his most skillful vocal writing, deftly and gracefully performed by Sabine Devieilhe and Lea Desandre. The star attraction, Armida abbandonata, explores the gamut of Handel’s genius and deserves a place among his greatest operas. Le Concert d’Astrée are in blistering form.
- Philippe Jaroussky & Artaserse
- Gotthold Schwarz, Christophe Coin & Laurence Equilbey
- Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis, Romina Basso, Ann Hallenberg, Topi Lehtipuu, Roberta Mameli, Sonia Prima & Emöke Baráth
- Cecilia Bartoli, Ensemble Matheus & Jean-Christophe Spinosi
- Eva Zaïcik & Le Consort
- Emöke Baráth, Francesco Corti & Il Pomo d'Oro
- L'Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar, Philippe Jaroussky & Céline Scheen