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Abbandonata : Handel Italian cantatas

Georg Friedrich Händel

Reviews (10)

The observer

d. 29. Oct. 2018

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By

Nicholas Kenyon

d. 29. Oct. 2018

"Sampson is hard put to better the stunning intensity of the disc's second track, Ah! crudele, from the best-known cantata, Armida abbandonata, though the drama of the longer Agrippina condotta a morire runs it close, full of vicious recriminations, as the empress is led to her death, which elide the differences between arias and recitatives with passionate conviction. Strong support from Robert King and the King's Consort, especially leader Kati Debretzeni".

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MusicWeb international

2018 November

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By

Brian Wilson (musikanmelder)

2018 November

"What could be more wonderful for lovers of Handel's music and of Carolyn Sampson ... delectable music, delectably sung ... The Vivat recording follows a successful album of Handel oratorio arias from 2014 on which Carolyn Sampson joined Iestyn Davies and the King's Consort ... The Italian cantatas recorded here are a handful of those which he wrote for the entertainment of various patrons during his stay in Rome ... Sampson is superb ... Two very recommendable new releases".

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BBC music magazine

2011 Christmas

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George Hall (musikanmelder)

2011 Christmas

"There is a marvellous flamboyance to these youthful works ... Crowe is fully equal to their varied demands, showing an imaginative sensitivity to Handel's melodic shapes ... She's alert, too, to the music's harmonic implications ... Harry Bicket proves an astute accompaniment, allowing Crowe all the time she needs to turn corners and seconding her expressive designs".

Fono Forum

2012 April

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By

Richard Lorber

2012 April

"Die lange Arie "Barbaro, tu non credi" ... ist der Höhepunkt des Händel-Recitals der englischen Sopranistin Lucy Crowe ... Lucy Crowe setzt hier alle Register ihres Könnens ein: präzis platzierte Koloraturen, hingebungsvoll dahingehauchte Legatopassagen und rhetorisches Deklamieren ... Neben solchen schönen Interpretationen ... hört man leider auch einige Ausreisser".

BBC music magazine

2018 Christmas

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By

Berta Joncus

2018 Christmas

"Yes, her instrument is glorious and her readings exquisitely crafted, but it's her carefully selected and interconnected musical choices that truly set her apart. This new recording exemplifies Sampson's rare sensibility, as both performer and intellectual ... The sexiness of Armida, the silliness of Icarus, the shiftlessness of Agrippina are implicit in his score; Sampson's performance, and that of the King's Consort, makes this splendidly explicit".

Diapason

2019 février

By

By

Ivan A. Alexandre

2019 février

BBC music magazine

2008 November

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George Pratt

2008 November

"Most succesful is the slower, reflective "Notte placida" ... Here, as throughout, strings and continuo of La Risonanza give excellent support".

The gramophone

2012 January

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Richard Wigmore

2012 January

"Crowe's delectable singing is complemented by fresh, rhythmically buoyant and, where needed, virtuoso playing from the English Concert, who on their own give sparkling performances of three instrumental numbers from that astonishingly fertile Italian sojourn".

The gramophone

2018 October

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Richard Wigmore

2018 October

"Sampson's credentials as a superb Baroque stylist hardly need stressing. In Tra le fiamme and the rarely heard Figlio d'alte speranze ... she sings with her familiar grace of phrase and ease of coloratura. Crucially, too, she musters a true trill. Beyond this, Sampson subtly caries her naturally limpid tone in response to the dramatic situation ... Here is a disc that can be enthusiastically recommended to Sampson's many admirers and Handel lovers alike".

The gramophone

2007 October

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David Vickers

2007 October

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "Immensely satisfying Handel, well worth the long wait ... Galli sings with intensly dramatic conviction yet never at the expense of poetic style or good taste".