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Reviewer: Rob
Barnett
A generous anthology built around arias that may
have been sung by the famous castrato Carlo Broschi detto Farinelli
(1707-1782). Feted in his own time, his sound is here speculatively
recreated by a mezzo. The arias are by Porpora, Hasse, Broschi and
Giacomelli. Riccardo Broschi's steady reflective aria Qual guerriero from
Idaspe is particularly moving with long note-lines seemingly built for a
singer freed from the need for catching breath. This also rises to emotional
heights unusual for those times as in the meltingly lovely writing at 3:10
onwards. By contrast Giacomelli's aria Mancare, Dio from Adriano in Siria is
comparatively conventional though most beautifully shaped by Genaux. At the
centre of the disc sequence we hear an instrumental work: Galuppi's Concerto
a 4 in C minor which with its nicely pointed dynamic contrasts, distancing
and bustle is well worth hearing. Johann Hasse's Per questo from Artaserse
is temperate and playfully shaped with some nice instrumental filigree to
tickle the ear. Genaux redeems Giacomelli with the dramatics and stage stuff
of the aria Quell'usignolo from Merope. The avian idylls of the second
section of the aria compete with serious Vivaldian pointing and end the disc
well. One aspect of this series with which take issue is the inclusion of
extracts from critical reception of the discs on their original issue. What
is the point of this except in some way that we do not want to dwell on to
confirm the purchaser's wise choice in buying. Certainly since these
extracts are in the booklets they can do nothing to encourage purchase. A
small and unnecessary irritation.
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