Monteverdi: Se i languidi miei sguardi

It was during the Baroque period that the female contralto voice challenged the dominance of the male counter-tenor as the preferred vocal sound in the range between tenor and soprano. This recording, which was a “Gramophone Editor’s Choice” when first released, presents some of the finest pieces written for that voice by, amongst others, Vivaldi, Handel, and Carissimi. They are performed by Sara Mingardo and Concerto Italiano under the direction of Rinaldo Alessandrini.