Catalogue

Summary:

“At home equally in the passionate music for Almira or Armida, the dramatic depths and heights of Cleopatra and the teasing cynicism of Atalanta… Forsythe displays formidable technique… remarkable range of vocal colour… packs an overwhelming emotional punch. Apollo’s Fire, under the able baton of Jeannette Sorrell, provide exquisitely-judged orchestral support.” – Alastair Harper, Early Music Review

“Forsythe shows here why she deserves top rank. Her agility, her invention and her voice – a straight core sound wrapped in luminous timbres – are remarkable…particularly in allegro moods, Forsythe sets arias on fire; her handling of war-horses like ‘Da tempeste’ (Giulio Cesare) will amaze even the jaded connoisseur … a disc worth having.” ★★★★ – Berta Joncus, BBC Music magazine

“… ‘Piangerò’ seems inevitable nowadays in Handel soprano recitals, but Forsythe’s is a fine performance, unexpectedly dramatic in the recitative. Unlike many of her ilk, she can call on a more womanly colour of voice when she needs it. She also attacks the fast-and-furious B section with terrific aggressiveness. In another ultra-familiar piece, ‘Tornami a vagheggiar’, one can appreciate Forsythe’s trills (so entrancingly integrated into the vocal line by Handel) and her ease in high interpolations.” – Opera magazine

“Amanda Forsythe’s intelligent and characterful singing means there’s no risk of these being merely yet another slog through audition warhorses…Sorrell’s strategy to interleave four dances between clusters of arias is neatly effective.” – David Vickers, Gramophone

“Forsythe is a superb singer with staggering agility. This is a knockout recital by a major American soprano. Sorrell leads the period instruments of Apollo’s Fire… smoothly and expertly.” – Robert Levine, Classics Today

“… her [Forsythe] lively performances of arias … demonstrate her impressive skills … agile and varied in her tone, though her sparkling upper tessitura is her claim to fame, and her runs and trills are truly exciting to hear…” ★★★★½ – Blair Sanderson, AllMusic.com

“…an enjoyably performed and well recorded release that gives considerable listening pleasure.” – Michael Cookson, MusicWebInternational.com

“…Forsythe sings this repertoire with such sure technique, dramatic understanding, and tasteful embellishment that it’s hard to escape the feeling that she simply owns this music… Her singing throughout this disc is stylish, supple, tonally beautiful, and marked by eloquent diction. Jeannette Sorrell leads the Cleveland-based period ensemble Apollo’s Fire in accompaniments that strikingly match Forsythe in power, articulation, and expressive intensity…” – Jonathan Blumhofer, Artsfuse.org

“… Amanda Forsythe is simply astonishing in her vocal acrobatics … Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire are sensitive and attentive partners, and outstanding solo work comes from oboist Debra Nagy, traverso Kathie Stewart, and bassoonist Nate Helgeson…” – Daniel Hathaway, Cleveland Classical

“…Performing as she has so often with Apollo‟s Fire under Jeannette Sorrell, the New York City-born American soprano reveals an uncommonly wide emotional range, from light frivolity and flirtation to deepest sorrow and tragedy, with everything in between…” – Phil, Audio Visual Club of Atlanta

Love, angst and revenge are the timeless themes of Handel’s operas, as brought to vivid life in this recording by the acclaimed baroque orchestra, Apollo’s Fire. Grammy Award-winning soprano Amanda Forsythe, described as “simply dazzling” by The New York Times, joins conductor/harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell to explore the gamut of emotions, from fiery coloratura arias to tragic laments. The recording includes rarely-heard arias and a few favorite chestnuts, drawn from eight of the composer’s operas.

Tracklist:

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685–1759)

1. Orlando: Amor è qual vento (4:57)
2. Almira: Geloso tormento (7:07)
3. Xerxes: Un cenno leggiadretto (4:23)
4. Terpsichore (Il pastor fido): Chaconne (4:43)
5. Partenope: Qual farfalletta (6:12)
6. Giulio Cesare: Piangerò (7:32)
7. Terpsichore: Entrée (Jalousie) (1:59)
8. Ariodante: Il primo ardor (3:38)
9. Rinaldo: Dunque I lacci/Ah crudel (7:47)
10. Terpsichore: Air (2:30)
11. Alcina: Tornami a vagheggiar (5:11)
12. Teseo: Amarti si vorrei (5:35)
13. Terpsichore: Ballo (1:34)
14. Giulio Cesare: Da Tempeste (6:05)

Total time: 69:20