Search - George Frideric Handel, Nicholas McGegan, Freiburger Barockorchester :: Handel - Radamisto / Popken, Gondek, Saffer, Hanchard, Frimmer, M. Dean, Cavalier, Freiburg Baroque Orch., McGegan

Pretty music for a semi-unknown opera

Corrado Speranza | Perugia, Italy | 04/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Radamisto signed the beginning of the sequence of the most successful operas which Handel wrote in London: infact it is followed by masterpieces like Ottone, Giulio Cesare and Tamerlano. In a word it's the first opera of Handel's maturity. This recording is the second version of the drama written by Handel in December 1720, eight months after the first version. The best moments of Radamisto are concentrated in the second and in the third acts, while the first act isn't exciting. In this recording McGegan is in good form: his direction is brilliant (see also his recording of Ariodante), the Freiburger Barockorchester plays with delicacy and all the singers are fair. The most remarkable ones are Ralf Popken who is Radamisto (listen to him in particular in "Vanne sorella ingrata" and in "Dolce bene di quest'alma"), Juliana Gondek as Zenobia (in the romantic arias "Quando mai spietata sorte"and "Deggio dunque oh Dio lasciarti") and Monika Frimmer in the secondary role of Fraarte (note her skill in "Deh fuggi un traditore" and "S'adopri il braccio armato"). Sometimes the bass Michael Dean (Tiridate) is a little harsh, but in this way he marks the wicked figure of Tiridate. At the end of the opera there is a beautiful quartet ("O cedere o perir"): it's very difficult to find another one among the operas of the first half of the eighteenth century !"

Radamisto, una guerra por una mujer

Homero | Santiago, Region Metropolitana Chile | 02/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Esta encantadora ópera que en su tiempo fuen un éxito Handeliano, es traída por Mc Gegan con una brillante versión en la cual me parece notable la participación de Monika Frimmer como Fraarte en arias extraordinarias como "Deh fuggi a un traditore" en la cual sobresale pese a tener un papel secundario. Ralf Popken parec un poco sobrecargado en especial en "Perfido..." por su parte Juliana Godiek siempre sólida mantiene la constancia de su voz. En resumen una obra que habla de una guerra entablada por el amor a una mujer que ennoblece a Handel; pero que no convence 100%"