Search - George Frideric Handel, Emmanuelle Haim, Le Concert d'Astree :: Natalie Dessay ~ Delirio (Handel Italian Cantatas)

Rarely Heard Handel Performed with Great Style

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those albums for people who love Baroque music but who want to enter the realm of the lesser known works. Though Natalie Dessay has become a star on the opera stage, here she collaborates with Emmanuelle Haïm conducting Le Concert D'Astree in three cantatas for soprano and instruments. The result is a CD of enormous beauty and grace and one that deserves awards in every category of music making!



There are three works on this well engineered CD: 'Il Delirio Amoroso', 'Aci, Galatea e Polifemo,' 'Mi palpita il cor', and the aria 'Qui l'augel da pianta in pianta'. The recital opens with the 'Introduzione from Il Delirio Amoroso' in which Emmanuelle Haïm sets a buoyant and elegant mood for the rest of the recording. Natalie Dessay is in top form here, giving us a broader range of voice than we are used to hearing from this talented artist. She has a definite affinity for Handel and her approach to these rare works is gratifying in every way. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06"

THE SUPERB NATALIE DESSAY DIGS NEW REPERTOIRE FOR HER WITH T

Ygor | Brazil | 01/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some time ago, it was reported that Natalie Dessay was facing a vocal crisis, and I became quite worried at how her voice would sound after that. Now I know I had no real reasons to be worried, since the superb Natalie Dessay proved again what a great and intelligent artist she is. While Natalie Dessay has had to abandone a little her former lirico-leggero coloratura singing with an abundance of stratospheric high notes and superhuman agility, she has now gained an equally stupendous voice. It's now creamier and fuller than before, with a much improved low register and a richer middle register. She doesn't attempt the highest notes anymore (notice that highest notes for Dessay mean High G's and High A's, since she's still able to hit a wonderful High E Flat or High E), but her artistry seems to have deepend and matured. One of my greatest praises to her singing has always been Dessay's ability to convey the proper nuance and dramaticism to any melody she sings, even if it's a simple recitative. Now she seems to have reached the complete maturity of her artistry, and this album is a proof of that.

This is an album of Händel's Italian Cantatas, which are full of nuanced and fascinating music. They may not have the dramaticism of his later operas nor the depth of other sacred pieces by him, like Messiah, but they have that wonderful melodical creativity that Händel had. In "Un pensiero voli in ciel", Dessay shows her flowing legato in long coloratura lines with the accompaniment of lively, meaningful strings. The aria "Lascia omai le brune vele" contains some fascinating, unselfconsciously exuberant fioriture, which are sung by Dessay with stunning ease. She's also magnificent in the more lyrical and melancholic arias, such as "Per te lasciai la luce" or "Ho tanti affanni in petto", where it's amazing to hear the rich and expressive vocal colours and tones of Dessay's voice.



There are some people who criticize Emanuelle Haïm's always lively and exciting conducting. Those must be real purists, who prefer a flawless sound to an orchestral performance that shows all the dramatic and melodical nuances of the music. As I'm not a Baroque purist, I must say I'm a real fan of Haïm's conducting. She doesn't seem to care a lot about creating a perfectly homogeneous and transcendental sound, but rather creating a sound that excites the ears and is meaningful to the heart, and she always succeeds. In this way, her conducting is a perfect accompaniment to Natalie Dessay, whose superb voice is always used to favor the drama that imbues the music.



Definitely, this is one of the best Händel releases of the last years, and it's also a great success for Dessay, who digs new repertoire for her and proves to be ideal for it. I highly recommend this excellent album!"

Brillant recording

Patricia A. Powell | gladstone, nj USA | 06/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Handel, and bought this cd because I had never heard "Delirio amoroso" or for that matter, I had never even heard of it. The cd turned out to be a wonderful surprise. The music is light and airy. Delirio is a substantial and brilliantly orchestrated cantata for solo Soprano. Handel aficionados may recognize some of the music as Handel reworked one of the arias for both "Rodrigo", and "Radamisto".



The cd also includes an aria from "Aci, Galateae Polifemo". If you are unfamiliar with this, then you may find yourself wanting to search out the entire cantata.



Finally, there is "Mi palpita il cor", a cantata that has been reworked several times. The cd notes say that this appears to be the earliest version of this cantata. While a purist may need to know that, to me it hardly mattered. The music intertwines the solo soprano voice with the oboe making the "palpita" a new Handel favorite. I love that combination! It is haunting in a way that baroque music seldom is. In my spare time I may search out the versions... one for alto voice and flute, HWV 132c, or HWV 132d, which apparently uses both flute and oboe.



Natalie Dessay is perfectly suited to the musical and interpretive demands. I love her voice! She moves through her voice registers seamlessly. She adds color to her voice as she interprets the music flawlessly. I don't know what else one could expect of a singer.



This is well worth the purchase price. I highly recommend it.

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