Although there is talk of arias from works which have some dating from the early eighteenth century, this surprisingly modern, and my association is towards the border areas between Baroque and Viennese Classicism in the middle of the century. Some of this can probably be attributed to the interpretation conductor Richard Egarr has given these arias, which to my ears tend to for a romantic direction more than the tidsautentiske that today's baroque police swear by.
And even more so I think Emma Bell contributes to the romantic in this interpretation. A violent dynamics between the powerful and silky is carried by a stunning vocal, making this recording a joy to listen to. My favorite on this disc is perhaps "Piangerò la mia black" from the opera Guilio Cesare, but there are very many nominees.
It is recorded in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, and the short version of the description of sound quality must surely be something like: ".... so now I've been there too". Of course, multi-channel mix on the hybrid SA-CD used to describe the audience and it is a description that is easy to immerse themselves in. Good dynamics and excellent resolution are qualities I'm used to from Linn Records, and this recording fills oppforventningene.
Highly recommended!
