Handel - Serse / Malafronte, J. Smith, Milne, Bickley, Asawa, D. Thomas, Ely, McGegan

Handel - Serse / Malafronte, J. Smith, Milne, Bickley, Asawa, D. Thomas, Ely, McGegan

Handel - Serse / Malafronte, J. Smith, Milne, Bickley, Asawa, D. Thomas, Ely, McGegan
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Composer: George Frideric Handel
Conductor: Nicholas McGegan
Orchestra: The Hanover Band
Performer: Jennifer Smith
Performer: Lisa Milne
Performer: Susan Bickley
Performer: Brian Asawa
Performer: David Thomas
Performer: Judith Malafronte
Performer: Dean Ely
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 1999-04-13
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Serse: Ouverture
  2. Serse: (Allegro)
  3. Serse: (Gigue)
  4. Serse: Accomp: Frondi tenere (Serse)
  5. Serse: Arioso: Ombra mai fu (Serse)
  6. Serse: Recit: Siam giunti, Elviro... (Arsamene, Elviro)
  7. Serse: Sinfonia: Sento un soave concento. (Elviro, Arsamene)
  8. Serse: Accomp & Arioso: O voi, che penate (Romilda, Arsamene, Elviro)
  9. Serse: Recit: Arsamene! Mio Sire! (Serse, Arsamene)
  10. Serse: Aria: Va godendo vezzoso e bello (Romilda)
  11. Serse: Recit: Quel canto a un bel amor (Serse, Arsamene)
  12. Serse: Aria: Io le diro che l'amo, ne mi sgomentaro (Serse)
  13. Serse: Aria: Tu le dirai che l'ami ma non t'ascoltera (Arsamene)
  14. Serse: Recit: Arsamene! Romilda, oh Dei (Romilda, Atalanta, Arsamene)
  15. Serse: Aria: Si, Si mio ben, si, si, io per te vivo sol, (Atalanta)
  16. Serse: Recit: Presto, Signor, vien Serse. (Serse, Romilda, Arsamene, Elviro)
  17. Serse: Aria: Meglio in voi col mio partire (Arsamene)
  18. Serse: Recit: Bellissima Romilda (Serse)
  19. Serse: Aria: Di tacere e di schernirmi (Serse)
  20. Serse: Recit: Aspide sono. A detti tuoi d'amore (Romilda)
  21. Serse: Aria: Ne men con l'ombre d'infedelta (Romilda)
  22. Serse: Aria: Se cangio spoglia, non cangio core (Amastre)
  23. Serse: Recit: Pugnammo, amici (Amastre, Ariodate)
  24. Serse: Choro: Gia la tromba, che chiamo
  25. Serse: Recit: Ecco Serse, o che volto, o che splendore! (Serse, Amastre, Ariodate)
  26. Serse: Aria: Soggetti al mio volere (Ariodate)
  27. Serse: Choro: Gia la tromba, che chiamo
  28. Serse: Recit: Queste vittorie, io credo (Serse, Amastre)
  29. Serse: Aria: Piu che penso alle fiamme del core (Serse)
  30. Serse: Recit: Eccoti il foglio, Elviro (Arsamene, Elviro)
  31. Serse: Arietta: Signor, Signor, lasciate far a me (Elviro)
  32. Serse: Aria: Non so se sia le speme (Arsamene)
  33. Serse: Recit: Tradir di regia sposa la fe promessa? (Amastre)
  34. Serse: Aria: Sapra delle mie offese (Amastre)
  35. Serse: Recit: Al fin sarete sposa al vostro Serse (Romilda, Atalanta)
  36. Serse: Aria: Se l'idol mio rapir mi vuoi (Romilda)
  37. Serse: Recit: Per rapir quel tesoro (Atalanta)
  38. Serse: Aria: Un cenno leggiadretto, un riso vezzosetto (Atalanta)
Music CD 2
  1. Serse: Arioso: Speranze mie fermate
  2. Serse: Arietta: Ah! Chi voler fiora di bella giardina
  3. Serse: Recit: E chi direbbe mai, ch'io sono Elviro?
  4. Serse: Aria: Or che siete speranze tradite
  5. Serse: Recit: Quel curioso e partito
  6. Serse: Ariosa: A piangere ogn'ora
  7. Serse: Recit: Ola! vien qua! Degli aspiri miei dolori
  8. Serse: Arietta: Ah! Tigre infedele
  9. Serse: Recit: Parti; il Re s'avvicina
  10. Serse: Arioso: E tormento troppo fiero
  11. Serse: Recit: Di quel foglio, Atalanta
  12. Serse: Aria: Dira, che amor per me
  13. Serse: Recit: Voi quel foglio lasciate a me per prova
  14. Serse: Aria: Dira, che non m'amo
  15. Serse: Recit: Ingannata Romilda!
  16. Serse: Duetto: L'amerete? L'amero
  17. Serse: Aria: Se bramate d'amar, chi vi sdegna
  18. Serse: Accomp: L'amero? Non fia vero
  19. Serse: Aria: E gelosia quella tiranna
  20. Serse: Recit: Gia che il duol non m'uccide
  21. Serse: Aria: Anima infida, tradita io sono
  22. Serse: Recit: E pazzo affe!
  23. Serse: Aria: Quella che tutta fe
  24. Serse: Coro: La virtute sol potea
  25. Serse: Recit: Ariodate! Signore
  26. Serse: Coro: La virtute sol potea
  27. Serse: Arioso: Per dar fine alla mia pena
  28. Serse: Recit: Arsamene, ove andate?
  29. Serse: Aria: Si, la voglio e l'otterro
  30. Serse: Recit: V'inchino, eccelso Re
  31. Serse: Aria: Voi mi dite, che non l'ami
  32. Serse: Recit: Saria lieve ogni doglia
  33. Serse: Aria: Il core spera e teme
  34. Serse: Accomp: Me infelice, ho smarrito il mio padrone!
  35. Serse: Aria: Del mio caro Bacco amabile
  36. Serse: Duetto: Gran pena e gelosia
  37. Serse: Recit: Aspra sorte! Empie stelle!
  38. Serse: Aria: Val piu contento core
  39. Serse: Recit: Vuo ch'abbian fine
  40. Serse: Aria: Chi cede al furore
Music CD 3
  1. Serse: Sinfonia
  2. Serse: Recit: Sono vani i protesti
  3. Serse: Arietta: No, no, se tu mi sprezzi
  4. Serse: Recit: Ecco in segno di fe la destra amica
  5. Serse: Aria: Per rendermi beato parto
  6. Serse: Recit: 'Ubbidiro al mio Re?'
  7. Serse: Aria: Amor, tiranno Amor
  8. Serse: Recit: Come gia vi accennammo
  9. Serse: Aria: Del Ciel d'amore sorte si bella
  10. Serse: Recit: Il suo serto rifiuto!
  11. Serse: Aria: Cagion son io del mio dolore
  12. Serse: Recit: Romilda infida, e di me pensa ancora?
  13. Serse: Duetto: Troppo oltraggi, troppo inganni
  14. Serse: Coro: Cio che Giove destino
  15. Serse: Recit: Ecco lo sposo!
  16. Serse: Coro: Chi infelice si trovo
  17. Serse: Recit: Se ne viene Ariodate
  18. Serse: Aria: Crude furie degl orridi abissi
  19. Serse: Recit: Perfidi! E ancor osate venirmi innanzi?
  20. Serse: Aria: Caro voi siete all'alma
  21. Serse: Coro: Ritorna a noi la calma

Music reviews of Handel - Serse / Malafronte, J. Smith, Milne, Bickley, Asawa, D. Thomas, Ely, McGegan

Music Review: Almost......almost
Rating: 4 Stars

I like giving 5-star reviews. If I don't it's because something's more 'wrong' than 'missing'.

Firstly though, I'll say what is so 'right' about this opera. To begin with, Brian Asawa. Apart from a superb technique, the sheer beauty of his voice alone makes him worth hearing. Susan Bickley as Amastre is the other protagonist who makes this a luxurious experience. Her firm and beautiful chest register punctuates her sumptuous tones with some heart-stopping moments. "Or che siete speranze tradite" in Act 2 is truly magnetic and in her preceeding exchnage with Elviro, she is most compelling (and I don't necessarily mean 'forceful' here). Lisa Milne, blessed with a light golden voice, sings her soprano role of Atalanta with grace and beauty without sounding too 'airy'. Truly beautiful. David Thomas' Elviro may have been a little overdone in the comic scene dressed as a flower-peddler but he is otherwise suitably expressive and reliable. Dean Ely's Ariodate is deep and firm...again beautiful.

Judith Malafronte's Xerxes isn't so much what's wrong, but she wouldn't have been my first pick. She's not as clean of attack as desirable and doesn't possess the sort of tone that would convince anyone of her 'trousers' role. In fact, the singing technique may be satisfactory but the sound is unattractive to my ears. Bickley in this lead role would have been brilliantly cast....or (can we be even more ambitious) the fabulous Bernarda Fink (now THAT'S hoping for a lot!). Nevertheless, Ms. Malafronte was adequate (if not suitably heroic), though many countertenors have done superior renditions of 'Frondi tenere....Ombra mai fu'. Again, as hope springs eternal (even ex post facto), I can only wonder at what the more full-voiced countertenor Andreas Scholl would have made of this role.

My real grouse then? Jennifer Smith's Romilda. While her performance is passionate (which is her sole mitigation), she manages to sound like Arsamene's mother....PARTICULARLY alongside Brian Asawa's ravishing countertenor. At times she is flat....that annoying sensation that just borders on the horizon of your perceptions but is nonetheless 'there'. Nowhere is this more vivid than the duet with Arsamene in Act 3: "Troppo oltraggi, troppo inganni". Ms. Smith is audibly taxed and struggles to 'hit' (her goal) rather than 'eventually reach' (her approximate effect) her high notes beside a flawless Mr. Asawa. The result is frustrating for me, especially when listening to Handel. The standard for baroque music involves greater surety and precision, otherwise it just sounds messy....especially where there is ornamentation. Unsteadiness and flatness/sharpness just don't fit in. It is unfortunate that modern recornings of this opera seem to be plagued with terrible Romildas.

Nevertheless, I give it 4-stars because it's my favourite Handel opera and the performance 'evens out' overall, producing a 'good enough' rating. The style of this work isn't made too cloying or artificial by a preponderance of arias. There's more recitative and hence more 'real' drama. Coupled with the fact that this is a love story bordering on tragedy, albeit with a happy ending, the added passion combines with the other elements to make this one of Handel's most convincing and moving pieces...and very alluring music.

The conducting is wonderful and achingly elegant. There are no extremes of speed. The strings are well harmonised and the harpsichord graceful, without sounding too exhuberant. The recording is well balanced and the acoustics are dramatically effective. There is some very effective sound direction to convey events occuring off-stage or aside; e.g., Romilda's music after Arsamene and Elviro enter scene 1, Act 1; and again during the duet recitative between Elviro and Amastre at the beginning of Act 2.

But even further tribute to Mr. Asawa. I think he's brilliant and his rave reviews are well-deserved. I WILL be exploring his recordings further. He has a naturally high pitch and the tone is truly stunning. I will also continue to be drawn to the reliable opulence of Ms. Bickley and (newly added) Ms. Milne. Still well-recommended, though I frown at the price.
More Handel - Serse / Malafronte, J. Smith, Milne, Bickley, Asawa, D. Thomas, Ely, McGegan free music reviews:
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