Serse

"Editors choices - November 2018: Emelyanychev elicits fabulous energy and impetus from Il Pomo d'Oro throughout; Fagioli (the first countertenor to tackle the title-role complete on record) is little short of astonishing in the Persian king's bravura outbursts of jealousy, but also brings real pathos to his more introspective moments, and is well contrasted with Vivica Genaux's cool Arsamente and Delphine Galou's fiery Amastre".

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"[It] bowls along energetically, the orchestral playing especially rewarding. In a top Handelian cast (no countertenors; the roles of Serse and his brother Arsamene are sung by mezzo-sopranos), Lucy Crowe (Romilda), Paula Murrihy (Arsamene) and Mary Bevan (Atalanta) are masterly and nuanced ... The versatile Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo sings the title role. Her ripe, vibrato-rich voice might not be to all tastes - sample Ann Murray or Anne Sofie von Otter for contrast - but she makes a powerful impact".

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"Recommended: Although I can understand why a prospective punter might opt for Bickett's more alert and urgent direction; personally, I still prefer Malgoire's more affectionate approach while acknowledging the superior energy of this latest recording, whose main attraction is the beauty of Emily D'Angelo's Serse. In many ways, she reminds me of mezzos of yesteryear and special character such as Tatiana Troyanos and Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson and I am sure there is much more to come from her. The sound is ideal and the playing from the English Concert entirely secure - no wheezing or whining but flawless intonation and precision. Nobody wishing to become acquainted with this lovely music will regret the purchase".

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"Editor's choice: I'd guess that a voice like Franco Fagioli's ... comes as close as we can get today to the mingled brilliance, suppleness and power of the great castrati in their pomp ... Few if any falsettists today could match his combination of temperament and vocal glamour in this notoriously taxing part. The rest of the cast easily hold their own in vocal lustre and dramatic immediacy. [Il Pomo d'Oro's] eagerly responsive, high-octane playing underpins the whole performance ... that combines vocal allure with a coruscating theatricality ... Whoever said Baroque 'dry recitative was boring?".

"Christian Curnyn's cast ... is truly without a weak link ... Anna Stephany - a Ferrier award winner ... steps up to the plate here with a performance of exceptional confidence and vocal bravura ... In sum, this is probably the Serse Handelians have been waiting for on disc".

"Vurdering: Gramophone choice" - "Until now the CD choice has been between the performances directed by Nicholas McGegan and William Christie ... They suffer from uneven casting. Not so this new recording, finely sung and conducted with style and spirit by Christian Curnyn ... For anyone wanting to acquire this jewel among Handel's later operas, this beautifully recorded new version is the one to go for".

"Recording of the month - Editor's choice: The superb cast is led by Emily D'Angelo, whose opening aria - beautifully controlled and rich in tone - will not disappoint ... Indeed, her vocal presence throughout this recording is gloriously commanding, but her character journey is equally impressive ... A special mention must be made of the orchestra and their silvery string tone ... This new Serse is surely one of the most charismatic recordings now available".

"Sachlich, aber auch witzig videoverliebt hat das Tilman Köhler inszeniert, im Fenster sieht man die Platane, die Xerxes (beweglich strahlende: Gaëlle Arquez) gleich zu Anfang im berühmten "Ombra mai fu" anschmachtet. Aber auch di schöne Romilda (sopran-schwankend: Elisabeth Sutphen) will er haben, die Braut seines Bruders Arsamene; also wird der vebannt. Aber auch Atatlanta, Romildas Schwester, liebt Arsamene, es geht hin und her und her und hin. Katastrophisches wechselt sich mit Komischem ab ... [mit] das vorzügliche Damenensemble ... Das Frankfurter Orchester offeriert Beweglichkeit und Klangnuancen".

"While the director plays up the elements of chaos ... and incipient cruelty, his modern-dress staging, complete with video-installations, is theatrically compelling and psychologically convincing. In a uniformly fine, camera-friendly cast, all the singers throw themselves with gusto into their roles and interact vividly ... Arquez rightly dominates, vocally and dramatically ... Carydis's direction, always responsive to the singers, meshes well with the production ... For freshness and consistency of singing, the Frankfurt performance wins".