Notes and Editorial Reviews
By now Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin has appeared on a couple of dozen recordings and she always impresses. Aside from some Mozart, Britten, Barber, and another composer or two, her repertoire has been solidly based in the Baroque. We’ve come a long way from the HIP sounds of Emma Kirkby and Judith Nelson—not that I’m criticizing or denigrating them—and Gauvin’s rich sound has nothing of the boy treble in it; it is a full lyric soprano. It isn’t merely that she sings with vibrato—she simply has vibrato that she will occasionally eschew for effect; it is her echt womanliness that comes across so vividly.
Except for Meleagro in Handel’s Atalanta, a male role written for soprano
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castrato, all of the arias on this CD are women’s roles. And “Care selve” from that opera has been sung by everyone, from Leontyne Price to Pavarotti, with Kiri Te Kanawa in between. This CD pays homage to Anna Maria Strada del Po, who sang works by Vivaldi and Vinci before moving to London and performing in no less than 24 of Handel’s operas beginning in 1729 and until 1737. (The composer was relieved not to have the “dueling divas” Cuzzoni and Bordoni to referee anymore.)
Strada was one of three singers for whom Handel wrote a high C. Her dramatic range must have been great as well: he created Alcina for her. On this CD, Gauvin sings three of Alcina’s arias: the wandering, picturesque “Ombre pallide”; the sad, introspective “Si son quella”; and the emotionally complicated, self-pitying, angry “Ah! mio cor”. For these alone, with all their mood swings and varying vocal styles and dynamic ranges, this CD is worth buying.
“Scherza il mar” from Lotario dazzles to start the program, and Elmira’s “Dite pace” (from Sosarme), with a helpless character questioning the heavens, is marvelous as well. In fact, each interpretation here takes on the character of the person and situation, a feat even more remarkable when you consider that Gauvin’s voice is not a complex instrument: it is silky-smooth and luscious. Her innate musicality and perfect pitch create the thrills. “Care selve”, correctly accompanied by continuo alone, is a gorgeous, long-lined poem. And what a trill!
There are three well-spaced and brief orchestral interludes included, with the Adagio from Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 3 No. 1 being the most stunning. And throughout, the Arion Orchestre Baroque, playing on period instruments under Alexander Weidman, is never less than ideal. This is a stunner.
-- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Sosarme, HWV 30: Dite pace by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1732; London, England
2.
Orlando, HWV 31: Verdi piante, erbette liete by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1733; London, England
3.
Lotario, HWV 26: Scherza in mar by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1729; London, England
4.
Atalanta, HWV 35: Care selve by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1736; London, England
5.
Alcina, HWV 34: Si son quella! by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1735; London, England
6.
Alcina, HWV 34: Ah! Ruggiero crudel...Ombre pallide by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1735; London, England
7.
Alcina, HWV 34: Ah! mio cor! schemito sei! by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1735; London, England
8.
Astianatte: Tortorella se rimira by Leonardo Vinci
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
9.
Concerti grossi (6), Op. 3: no 1 in B flat major, HWV 312 - 2nd movement, Largo by George Frideric Handel
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: circa 1715-1717; London, England
10.
La verità in cimento, RV 739: Addio caro by Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
11.
Lotario, HWV 26: Overture by George Frideric Handel
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1729; London, England
12.
Concerti grossi (12), Op. 6: no 8 in C minor, HWV 326 - 4th movement, Adagio by George Frideric Handel
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1739; London, England
13.
Orlando, HWV 31: No, non potra by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1733; London, England
14.
Flavio, Rè di Longobardi, HWV 16: Da te parto by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Karina Gauvin (Soprano)
Conductor:
Alexander Weimann
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arion Baroque Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1723; London, England
Sound Samples
Lotario, HWV 26: Act I: Aria: Scherza in mar la navicella mentre ride aura seconda
Orlando, HWV 31: Act II: Non potra dirmi ingrata
Orlando, HWV 31: Act II: Verdi piante, erbette liete
Astianatte: Tortorella se rimira
Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op. 3, No. 1, HWV 312: II. Largo
Sosarme, re di Media, HWV 30: Act I: Aria: Dite pace, e fulminate, crudi Cieli!
La verita in cimento, RV 739: Act II: Aria: Addio caro. Tu ben sai
Flavio, re di Longobardi, HWV 16: Act III: Da te parto: ma concedi
Lotario, HWV 26: Overture
Alcina, HWV 34: Act II: Aria: Ah! Ruggiero crudel
Alcina, HWV 34: Act II: Aria: Ombre pallide, lo so, mi udite
Alcina, HWV 34: Act I: Si, son quella!
Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 8, HWV 326: II. Grave
Alcina, HWV 34: Act III: Aria: Ah! mio cor
Atalanta, HWV 35: Act I: Arioso: Care selve, ombre beate
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