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Handel: Mezzo-Soprano Opera Arias
George Frideric Handel, Diego Fasolis, I Barocchisti
Handel: Mezzo-Soprano Opera Arias
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

After his foray into the early Romantic era -- heroic arias written for female mezzo sopranos to perform in male disguise -- Max Emmanuel Cencic returns to core countertenor repertoire with this program of Handel. It compr...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: George Frideric Handel, Diego Fasolis, I Barocchisti, Max Emanuel Cencic
Title: Handel: Mezzo-Soprano Opera Arias
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Virgin Classics
Original Release Date: 1/1/2010
Re-Release Date: 4/6/2010
Album Type: Enhanced
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 5099969457401

Synopsis

Album Description
After his foray into the early Romantic era -- heroic arias written for female mezzo sopranos to perform in male disguise -- Max Emmanuel Cencic returns to core countertenor repertoire with this program of Handel. It comprises arias taken from a variety of operas and other vocal works and includes t wo of the composer's operatic `greatest hits', the dynamic `Dopo notte' from Ariodante and the poignant `Cara speme' from Giulio Cesare. W hen Cencic performed the role of Sesto in Giulio Cesare on stage in Toulouse in 2006, ResMusica described him as a "true phenomenon". Handel retains a prominent position in Cencic's performance schedule. Among operas by the composer that he has performed are Giulio Cesare, Tamerlano, Fernando, Serse, Ottone and Faramondo -- his complete Virgin Classics recording of this work was designated a Diapason `Découverte' in March 2009, also being selected for Gramophone's Editor's Choice in July 2009. The Daily Telegraph wrote of the recording that: "The cast is notable for the flamboyant contributions of the impressive young countertenors Max Emanuel Cencic (in the title role) and Philippe Jaroussky. Strongly recommended to diehard Handel fans."
 

CD Reviews

Beauiful!
Zachary Rogg-Meltzer | NYC | 04/15/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"These Mezzo-Soprano opera arias performed by Max Emanuel Cencic sound better than I have ever heard them sound. His voice is perfectly suited to this music, almost like he was born to sing it. 12 tracks including Arianna in Creta (track number 3) is absolutely beautiful, and I have listened to it ten times in the last few days. This whole CD maintains a very sensitive feel to it, and would appeal to the romantic type. I recommend this to anyone who likes their favorite artists to connect to their music. You certainly feel that here."
We are fortunate to be living now...
Julian Kerrell-Vaughan | Hong Kong | 04/07/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"We have, for so long, looked back with an admixture of unrequited longing and a sharp sense of regret to the age when the male castrato ruled the seventeenth and eighteenth-century operatic stage. Those two words, 'if only...' (perhaps two of the saddest in the English language) may now be laid aside. We are indeed incredibly fortunate in living at a time when we have talents such as Max-Emanuel Cencic to bring a triumphant renaissance to that music once again!

Cencic, like Andreas Scholl and very, very few others, has magnificent beauty and tone throughout his very wide range. There is none of the sibilance and nasal quality that one finds in the leading French exponent of the genre. Here is a very real beauty that stirs the soul.

Added to a phenomenal technique and that fundamental splendour, Cencic, unlike Scholl, it would appear, is capable of the most perilous pyrotechnics, throwing out great handfuls of running demi-semi-quavers with perfect precision and without losing that beauty of tone. In other words he is never obliged to sacrifice beauty to agility.

Returning to the great names of the past - Senesino, Cafarelli and of course Farinelli - one is tempted to posit the question, "Could they...did they...indeed sing better than this?""
Cencic-Handel arias.
Mr. Richard L. Williams | Wales | 06/09/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply sensational.easily the best counter tenor ever and irresistable even to those who do not like counter tenors.You will not be able to stop playing it as it's so beautiful."