With his rich countertenor voice, Franco Fagioli is an enormously engaging advocate of these Handel arias. Alongside favorites such as “Ombra mai fu” (Serse), “Venti, turbini, prestate” (Rinaldo), “Ch’io parta?” (Partenope), and ‘Scherza infida, in grembo al drudo” (Ariodante), Fagioli has chosen some gems that show off both his ability to spin out a long melody and his agility in faster, more elaborate music. His partners are the wonderful, Italian-based period ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro, a go-to group for Baroque aria recitals and magnificent accomplices on this varied and characterful collection.
- Max Emanuel Cencic, Armonia Atenea & George Petrou
- Julia Lezhneva, Mikhail Antonenko & Concerto Köln
- Sara Mingardo, Sandrine Piau, Magdalena Kožená, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Veronica Cangemi, Roberta Invernizzi, Patricia Petibon, Karina Gauvin, Nathalie Stutzmann & Julia Lezhneva
- Simone Kermes & Vivica Genaux
- Bejun Mehta, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin & René Jacobs
- Philippe Jaroussky, Amanda Forsythe, Emöke Baráth, I Barocchisti & Diego Fasolis
- Diego Fasolis, I Barocchisti & Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera