Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre, Le Concert d’Astrée & Emmanuelle Haïm – Handel: Italian Cantatas (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Surprisingly, the cantatas that Handel wrote in the earlier years of his career remain relatively little known. The thrilling theatricality of three works composed in Italy – Armida abbandonata, La Lucrezia and Aminta e Fillide is savoured to the full by conductor

Handel’s Italian cantatas date from early in his career, with few exceptions (none on display here). As a group they are less well-known than his operas, but they’re equally virtuosic, and performances of the cantatas whole, as with the three here, are a bit more satisfying than with the operas. The cantatas were composed for parties among powerful Roman cardinals, and they catch the young Handel at the peak of his first success, as Roman audiences hailed him as “il caro Sassone” (the dear Saxon). The arias are fancy and a bit brash, and one key to a good performance is to catch this quality. Both the singers here, French soprano Sabine Devieilhe and French-Italian mezzo Lea Desandre, are up-and-comers, and they offer fine, dramatically enthusiastic performances. The highlight is perhaps the first cantata of the set, Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83, where the contrast between the sparkling Devieilhe and the silvery-voiced Desandre is a pleasure in itself. This is a pastoral where the long-suffering shepherd gets the girl, for a change, even though she dismisses Cupid’s charms (sample Desandre in “Fu scherzo, fu gioco,” with its quiet high notes). The second and third works are solo cantatas, one for each singer, and Desandre effectively changes gears for subtle interactions with an active continuo cello. Both singers are aided superbly by Le Concert d’Astrée under Emmanuelle Haïm, a veteran group by this time but one that sounds entirely fresh in this delightful vocal program.

Tracklist:
1-01. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Arresta, arresta il passo” (Aminta) (02:02)
1-02. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Fermati, non fuggir!” (Aminta) (03:04)
1-03. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Questa sol volta almeno” (Aminta, Fillide) (00:38)
1-04. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Fiamma bella ch’al ciel s’invia” (Fillide) (04:33)
1-05. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Credi a’ miei detti, Aminta” (Fillide, Aminta) (00:34)
1-06. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Forse ch’un giorno” (Aminta) (03:11)
1-07. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Invano, invan presumi” (Fillide, Aminta) (01:16)
1-08. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Fu scherzo, fu gioco” (Fillide) (05:15)
1-09. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Libero pie fugga dal laccio” (Fillide, Aminta) (01:23)
1-10. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Se vago rio fra sassi” (Aminta) (03:16)
1-11. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “D’un incognito foco gia sento” (Fillide) (00:32)
1-12. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Sento ch’il Dio bambin” (Fillide) (04:13)
1-13. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Felicissimo punto” (Aminta) (00:17)
1-14. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “A dispetto di sorte crudele” (Aminta) (04:31)
1-15. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Vincesti, Aminta” (Fillide) (00:39)
1-16. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “E un foco quel d’amore” (Fillide) (03:05)
1-17. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Gloria bella di Aminta” (Aminta, Fillide) (00:42)
1-18. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Chi ben ama non paventi” (Aminta) (03:20)
1-19. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “E pur, Filli vezzosa” (Aminta, Fillide) (00:27)
1-20. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Non si puo dar un cor si felice in amor” (Fillide) (04:48)
1-21. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “O felice in amor dolce tormento” (Aminta, Fillide) (00:13)
1-22. Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre – Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83: “Per abbatter il rigore” (Aminta, Fillide) (05:17)
1-23. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “Dietro l’orme fugaci” (Armida) (01:07)
1-24. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “Ah crudele! E pur ten’ vai” (Armida) (05:05)
1-25. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “Per te mi struggo, infido” (Armida) (00:25)
1-26. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “O voi, dell’incostante e procelloso mare orridi mostri” (Armida) (00:44)
1-27. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “Venti, fermate” (Armida) (02:41)
1-28. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “Ma che parlo, che dico?” (Armida) (01:02)
1-29. Sabine Devieilhe – Armida abbandonata, HWV 105: “In tanti affanni miei” (Armida) (04:40)
1-30. David Plantier, Agnieszka Rychlik – Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, HWV 386b: I. Andante (03:15)
1-31. David Plantier, Agnieszka Rychlik – Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, HWV 386b: II. Allegro (02:42)
1-32. David Plantier, Agnieszka Rychlik – Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, HWV 386b: III. Largo (02:57)
1-33. David Plantier, Agnieszka Rychlik – Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, HWV 386b: IV. Allegro (02:00)
1-34. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “O numi eterni!” (Lucrezia) (00:50)
1-35. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Gia superbo del mio affanno” (Lucrezia) (04:18)
1-36. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Ma voi forse nel cielo” (Lucrezia) (00:43)
1-37. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Il suol che preme” (Lucrezia) (03:06)
1-38. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Ah! che ancor nell’abisso” (Lucrezia) (00:37)
1-39. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Questi la disperata anima mia” (Lucrezia) (00:33)
1-40. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Alla salma infedel” (Lucrezia) (03:11)
1-41. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “A voi, Padre, consorte” (Lucrezia) (00:51)
1-42. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Gia nel seno comincia a compir questo ferro i duri uffizii” (Lucrezia) (01:16)
1-43. Lea Desandre – Lucrezia, HWV 145: “Ma se qui non m’e dato” (Lucrezia) (00:32)