Haydn: Berenice, che fai? (Scena di Berenice), Hob XXIVa:10

“A splendid recital from a young soprano who rises with skill and flair to the music's varied challenges.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2009

“Symphony No. 92… is one of his most dazzling symphonies… More mellow, and less well known, is the E flat Symphony No. 91… perhaps greater than either is the absurdly neglected Scena di Berenice - a vivid depiction of Berenice driven to distraction by the death of her lover, Demetrio. ...Bernarda Fink... hers is an admirably rich and full voice, and she performs the piece with intense passion.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2005 *****

"The power and focus of the singing are magnetic…Once again, as in so many of her recordings, she firmly establishes herself as one of the most compelling mezzos of her generation." Gramophone

“The Handel and Haydn Society is America's oldest performing arts organization still in existence, having been founded in 1815 - a mere six years after the death of Haydn himself. With this recording of his arias and cantatas for solo soprano the society has done the musical world a great service: this is lovely music lovingly performed. It is almost a commonplace to say that Haydn has been consistently overshadowed by Mozart in the field of opera, but this has also meant the neglect of these quintessentially operatic miniatures. [...] Arleen Auger is superbly dramatic in the cantatas, gauging the emotional temperature perfectly and translating that into her voice through a subtle use of tone-colour and a commendably flexible approach to vibrato: drama without vocal histrionics. [...] I found this a most enjoyable recording, one I won't tire of hearing in a long time."” Gramophone Magazine

“A fine selection which demonstrates the English mezzo's huge range of expression in repertory ranging from Baroque to Britten (the cantata Phaedra written for her) and the unique commitment she brought to everything she sang.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2009 *****