George Frideric Handel Roger Norrington Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - David Daniels Operatic Arias (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

This voice is very special

Neil A. Dellar | McLean, VA USA | 10/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Daniels at a performance of Messiah in DC. I ran backstage afterwards to meet this truly exceptional alto who had brought tears to my eyes with his performance. I was also fortunate enough to hear his DC recital and see him in Giulio Cesare at the Met, so I am comfortable in saying that he sounds as good in person as he does on this recording. It is rare for a male alto to be able to bring such expressiveness to his performances. His technique is secure and his singing of, for example, "scherza infida" is simply exceptional. I hope that we get an opportunity to hear him on some full-length operas very soon."

A showcase of what a countertenor is capable of

Daniel Rodriguez | Houston, TX United States | 08/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit that I'm almost exclusively a soprano and mezzo soprano fan, when it comes to operatic voices. Of course, I was intrigued to listen to what a man would sound like in the upper register. David Daniels, being currently "the" countertenor in demand, was a logical choice to start. When I saw this recital at a bargain price in a local classical music shop, I snatched it up right away.The first few tracks of the recital are really the very best. He starts off with a moving interpretation of the popular Handel aria Ombra Mai Fu, exploring its lamentative undertones in a gripping manner. Va Tascito... from Giulio Cesare is given an equally moving interpretation. Daniels avoids sounding "hooty" and superlative, instead treating us to a superb legato and fine pianissimi. Of course, given that Giulio Cesare is his favorite role, one would expect no less.Al Lampo del Armi is the one aria of the recital where you can most hear the presence of his famous vocal coach, the legendary Marilyn Horne. His powerful vocal attack evokes her heralded technique. By the way, if you are interested in hearing Marilyn Horne's Handel arias, there is a compact disc recital available that also includes arias from Vivaldi's Orlando il Furioso.My other two favorite arias are Ah, Dispetto and L'angue Offeso, the latter an especially poignant rendition with subtle variations throughout.Unfortunately, I feel compelled to also point out the bad selections included in this recital. First off, he dares to take on Scherza Infida, from Ariodante. In the last decade, full studio recordings of this opera surfaced, with critically praised interpretations by Anne Sophie von Otter and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. I was especially fortunate to hear popular mezzo Susan Graham's Ariodante last year, with Houston Grand Opera. I still get shivers when I think of her go-for-broke, authoratative, bravura performance, which was executed under some very difficult conditions as part of the David Alden production. For Scherza Infida, she had to sing it while slowly sliding, upside down, off a large cupola suspended from the ceiling. She pulled it off flawlessly, although she admits that it was her most difficult performance ever. Needless to say, Daniels has nothing on these fine ladies. His Scherza Infida is, at best, a worthy effort, but the aria is above the tessitura in which he is comfortable, and the result is a weak tone and flawed navigation of the coloratura. The fact that it is conducted poorly, with only a fraction of the pathos, doesn't help.The other letdown is Venti, Turbidi from Rinaldo. It is really a slapdash effort, with very messy coloratura. Here, he lets down Marilyn Horne, who herself thrilled audiences both in the studio and onstage with her rendition. This is especially sad, since he went on to record the entire opera in the studio, in a critically praised recording with Cecilia Bartoli, conducted by Hogwood. I haven't heard the full studio recording, but I really hope that he improved on this pitiful showing.All said, this is a Handel recital that has more than enough gems to justify a spot in your opera collection."

A Truly Great Singer

Carlos Rochin | Denver, Colorado USA | 08/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bowman has much too much of the flat English edge to his voice & Scholl is good, if not memorable. Asawa is, indeed, very good, but David Daniels is a truly great singer. His musicianship, technical mastery of the genre & sheer beauty of tone leaves one wanting more. I can only say further, that I look forward, with great anticipation, to his pairing with the exquisite soprano of Bejun Mehta in Giulio Cesare in Los Angeles in February of 2001 & to the release of his newly recorded Rinaldo."

Stellar Performance and a Sign of the Greatness to Come

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 08/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is hard to imagine that there could be a finer recital disc of Handel's arias than this one reflecting the exquisite taste and powerful talent of David Daniels...unless of course, you count his splendid follow-up disc of Handel's lesser known oratorio arias released in 2002 (also strongly recommended). But the focus in this 1998 release is the rich music within six of Handel's best-known operas. Now nearly six years after its release, this recording not only holds up beautifully as an introduction to his prodigious talent, but also demonstrates his keen sense of adventure when his voice was at its most pure and unfettered.

Daniels' coloratura technique is amazingly seasoned even at this point of his career, and he approaches each aria in a singular fashion with that incredibly flexible legato that is literally breathtaking. Compare the impressive runs he employs on his rendition of "A dispitto" from "Tamerlano" to his seductive and sonorous tones on "Aure, deh, per pietà" from "Giulio Cesare in Egritto", and you get an idea of the range of emotion and technique of which Daniels is capable. Listening to the two arias from "Rodelinda" will make you recognize how over the course of twelve minutes, he has shown the two distinct sides of Bertarido - the mournful, dejected husband who goes unrecognized in "Pompe van di morte...Dove Sei?" and his enemy's savior at the end with "Vivi, tiranno".

The two arias from "Rinaldo", are also beautifully performed. Six years later, one can appreciate these versions within the context of Daniels' career, as he later recorded the title role in the famous 2000 recital recording of the opera with Cecilia Bartoli and yet again in the 2001 David Alden staging of the opera captured recently on DVD. I recommend getting your hands on all three and comparing the performances, as all are wonderful but quite different. Personally I think his voice ripened to just the right timbre in the Alden-staged version, especially during the opera's centerpiece, "Cara sposa, amante cara". Of all the stellar selections, it is really difficult to pick just one as a favorite, but his version of "E vivo ancora....Scherza infida" from "Ariodante" is especially moving in the way he sings of his plight in being humiliated by an unfaithful woman. Written for a castrato named Carestini in 1735, it is a sublime piece made all the more moving by the warm, round tones Daniels brings to it.

Sir Roger Norrington and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment provide able accompaniment on period instruments, never intrusive or jarring to the ears. It is easy to tell from this recording why Daniels received so much hype for bringing the countertenor voice to the mainstream and why his career has been so meteoric since the release of this disc. Now you can see that it was more than hype...David Daniels is the real thing."

The most spectacular debut since Price's "Blue Album"

Daniel Rodriguez | 04/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Daniels' voice is the ideal combination of beauty, power, and agility. You'll be hard-pressed to stick with a favorite track (mine changes at least once a day)."

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