Emily D’Angelo Serse, Paula Murrihy Arsamene, Daniela Mack Amastre, Lucy Crowe Romilda, Mary Bevan Atalanta, Neal Davies Ariodate, William Dazeley Elviro, English Concert, Harry Bicket
172:38 (3 CDs in a card triptych)
Linn CKD709
One of Handel’s last operas written against the backdrop of the collapse of the London operatic scene, which precipitated the composer’s inspired switch to the composition of oratorios, Serse fell victim to its circumstances receiving only five performances in Handel’s lifetime. If this reflected the tumultuous finances of the company presenting it and perhaps a perceptible decline in performance standards as well as the changing taste of the London public, it certainly had little to do with the quality of the music Handel had composed. Remembered now primarily for Serse’s opening aria, the exquisite Ombra mai fu, this is a work like so many others composed by the mature Handel, rich in originality and masterly music. Having mentioned this opening aria, I should probably address my main reservation about this account – the role of Serse, taken by the irascible and temperamental castrato Caffarelli in the original run, is here sung by the mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo. While she sings very expressively and musically, the decision not to use one of the excellent male alto singers currently available is baffling and changes the character of the eponymous hero. No reference is made to this odd decision in the performance notes, but I’m afraid it had a major effect on my enjoyment of this recording. Having said that, the singing from the first-rate line-up of soloists and the chorus is wonderfully expressive, while the orchestral playing is superlatively supportive, responsive and beautifully crafted – particular mention should be made of the orchestral trumpet playing, which is not just punchy punctuation but beautifully phrased and tastefully lyrical. Harry Bicket has a wonderful way with Baroque music, and his reading of this rich score is exemplary. The revival of the fortunes of Handel’s operas is something which has happened largely in my own lifetime, but this recording of Serse emphasises that this process has still some way to run. I was ashamed and appalled that the bulk of this excellent music was completely unknown to me – there is simply so much excellent Handel lurking in the less familiar operas and oratorios that complete recordings such as this are extremely valuable. David Vickers’ fascinating programme note makes the unexpected and valuable observation that a connecting line can be drawn between these late operas of Handel and the late-18th-century opera buffa of Mozart and his contemporaries. In the middle of the physical and mental breakdown which accompanied the collapse of Handel’s operatic aspirations, it would have been some consolation to him to know that the opera condemned to such a short run under his direction would go on to enjoy such a fruitful and well-deserved afterlife.
D. James Ross