Bejun Mehta, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs – Che Puro Ciel: The Rise of Classical Opera (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Bejun Mehta, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs – Che Puro Ciel: The Rise of Classical Opera (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:09:48 minutes | 1,23 GB | Genre: Classical, Opera
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

Arias & scenes from l’Orféo et Euridice, Ascanio in Alba, Antigona et Ifigenia in Tauride (Traetta), Il trionfo di Clelia (Hasse), Artaserse (Bach), Ezio (Gluck), Mitridate (Mozart)

In the famous Preface to Alceste (1767), Christoph Willibald Gluck and his librettist Ranieri de’ Calzabigi posited a new direction for opera. They spoke of moving beyond Baroque forms, of striving for a new naturalism in opera. They wanted, in Calzabigi’s lovely phrase, to liberate the language of the heart. Taken from the height of this Reform period, the arias on this disc reveal composers exploring and experimenting, at struggle and at play, as they create the new forms that bring to opera the noble simplicity of the Classical era. Bejun Mehta returns to the Wigmore Hall and Covent Garden in 2014 [Mitridate].

„Bejun Mehta’s disc towers above the other Handel ‘medley’ recordings currently fashionable among opera stars. Musicality and a brilliant intelligence emanate from every track. Mehta and René Jacobs, by contrast, achieve a perfect meeting of musical minds…This is not just another aria collection, but a celebration of genius, in composition and performance alike.” (BBC Music Magazine)

‘AMERICAN Bejun Mehta is a phenomenon among today’s countertenors…he explores a universe of colour and emotion, and demonstrates the sheer effortlessness of his delivery (never once do you sense that slight unnatural unease so common among average countertenors) with the supremely stylish backing of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra under René Jacobs. Welsh soprano Rosemary Joshua also features.’ (Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman)

Tracklist:

01. Bejun Mehta, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and René Jacobs – Orfeo ed Euridice: Aria Che puro ciel! (06:06)
02. Bejun Mehta, Rias Kammerchor, René Jacobs And Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin – Orfeo ed Euridice: Coro Vieni a’ regni del riposo (01:46)
03. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Ascanio in Alba: Recitativo Perché tacer degg’io? (04:33)
04. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Ascanio in Alba: Aria Cara, lontano ancora (05:01)
05. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Antigona: Aria Ah, se lo vedi piangere (03:17)
06. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Il Trionfo di Clelia: Aria Dei di Roma, ah perdonate! (04:32)
07. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Artaserse: Recitativo accompagnato No, che non ha la sorte (01:58)
08. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Artaserse: Aria Vo solcando un mar crudele (06:45)
09. Bejun Mehta, Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin And Rias Kammerchor – Ifigenia in Tauride: Dormi Oreste! (07:47)
10. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Ezio: Aria Pensa a serbarmi, o cara (05:07)
11. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Ascanio in Alba: Aria Ah di sì nobil alma (03:42)
12. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Antigona: Aria Ah, sì, da te dipende (05:00)
13. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Ezio: Aria Se il fulmine sospendi (03:27)
14. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Mitridate: Recitativo accompagnato Vadasi… (01:23)
15. Bejun Mehta and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin – Mitridate: Aria Già dagli occhi il velo è tolto (09:19)

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