Handel: Tornami a vagheggiar (from Alcina)

“Arcangelo's instrumental playing is reliably interesting, sometimes too interesting (Jonathan Cohen is not a 'less is more' director)...Prohaska's real talent is for the the earthy, wordy, rhythmically and emotionally multivalent declamations of Cavalli and Monteverdi...Lamento della ninfa is the standout performance, brilliantly characterised by Prohaska...this is more like an opera compressed into mere minutes.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2013 ****

“Prohaska has a strong-centred voice with a slightly dark colouring which is striking in itself...the more outgoing and technically demanding Handel and Vivaldi arias certainly come off effectively, with Prohaska's sometimes unconventional ornamentation adding a characterful twist” Gramophone Magazine, May 2013

“She's wonderful in 17th-century music, spinning out the lines of a Purcell chaconne and negotiating Cavalli's recitatives-cum-ariosos with impeccable understanding and style. When she turns to Handel and Vivaldi, however, the sensitivity of her singing gives way to a heavyweight athleticism, and the results are altogether less appealing. Arcangelo under Jonathan Cohen are breathtaking throughout.” The Guardian, 11th April 2013 ***

“superlative backing from Jonathan Cohen’s instrumental group Arcangelo. In a programme ranging from Monteverdi to Handel the plus points are delicate tone, exuberant ornamentation and echo effects in a wonderful Cavalli aria. But her English consonants don’t have enough bite in Purcell and her mannered glissandi need ruthless suppression.” The Times, 16th March 2013 ***

“This collection of broadcast material shows Sutherland's amazing precision and tonal clarity” BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 *****

“The lively, refreshing Exsultate, jubilate, a piece Sutherland didn't record commercially, shows us the capabilities of this kind of voice...you rarely hear it sung so easily and freely, or with such bright, clear, full-bodied tone. Nor is the singing merely mechanical, or inexpressive. The phrasing is deft and shapely in the outer movements...and the central Tu virginum corona is serene.” MusicWeb International, April 2013

“De Niese demonstrates good technical skills and a keen sense of character, but above all there's a strong artistic personality at work that enables her to make each statement her own.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2008 ****

“When it comes to sorceresses, de Niese is splendid. The two arias for Medea in Teseo are well contrasted. "Dolce riposo" is a duet for voice and oboe over a pulsating string accompaniment, sung with an affecting gentleness, while "O stringerò nel' sen" is a fiery expression of jealousy. ” Gramophone Magazine, June 2008

“Her singing is utterly delectable and completely assured.” The New York Times

“De Niese can certainly "sell" a number. She makes each of these arias an emotional journey, heightening the expression when the first section is repeated. Semele's "Myself I Shall Adore" becomes increasingly, and delightfully, dizzy, with narcissistic flights of ornamentation, while at the opposite end of the spectrum she suggests a new intensity of grief towards the end of Ginevra's "Il mio crudel martoro" ( Ariodante ), with a "soured" colouring on the key word "moro" - dying. What makes me faintly uneasy is the less than even quality of de Niese's voice and her reluctance to sing either a true legato or a true pianissimo, though the ultra-close miking must take some of the blame here. Her bright, slender soprano, with its distinctive quick vibrato, has an attractive hint of smokiness in the middle register. Higher up, it can become thin and squally - I noticed this especially in her no-holds-barred performances of Cleopatra's "Da tempeste" and Morgana's "Tornami a vagheggiar" ( Alcina ). Yet for all her vocal imperfections, De Niese brings each of these characters to vivid life.” The Times, 10th May 2008

“these are for the most part thoroughly engaging performances in which Temmingh uses a sure sense of line, judicious ornamentation and joyfully muscular and woody tone to ensure that every aria has character and inner life...a varied line-up of accompanying instruments has you looking forward to finding out what colours will come next” Gramophone Magazine, February 2011

“Her voice is absolutely extraordinary. The higher her register, the stronger her tone, pouring out in a molten flow of shining beauty...And it’s not just Petibon’s voice. It’s also the dramatic impulse running alongside, pulsing and throbbing in step with every expression of sorrow or revenge in the texts.” The Times, 23rd April 2010 *****

“This enterprisingly planned recital confirms Patricia Petibon as a singing actress with few peers in Baroque opera...it is hard to resist the mesmeric intensity of Petibon's singing...[Marcon's] expert period band matches Petibon all the way in acuity and dramatic flair.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2010

“plenty of character and vivacity” The Telegraph, 7th May 2010 ***

“Ms. Petibon sings with spontaneous abandon, impressive coloratura and distinctive ornamentation. The Venice Baroque Orchestra, led by Andrea Marcon, adds to the tempest with vibrant playing.” New York Times, 26th November 2010