Handel Uncaged: Cantatas for Alto

Handel Uncaged: Cantatas for Alto

$16.18
Total playing time [74:26]

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Lawrence Zazzo (countertenor)
Jonathan Manson (viola da gamba)
Andrew Maginley (theorbo & guitar)
Guillermo Brachetta (harpsichord)

George Frideric Handel’s early Italian cantatas were a laboratory for his vocal writing, daring experiments in melody and harmony upon which Handel drew for the rest of his composing life.

In Handel Uncaged, the internationally renowned countertenor Lawrence Zazzo has ‘uncaged’ a selection of these cantatas for the alto voice, presenting them in new ways, crowned by the world premiere recording of unpublished music from Handel’s astonishing and amusing 10-aria cantata cycle, Amore Uccellatore.

Zazzo is joined by a stellar continuo team of Jonathan Manson (cello and viola da gamba), Andrew Maginley (theorbo & guitar) and Guillermo Brachetta (harpsichord).

Album Booklet (PDF)

Tracklist
“

'Zazzo taps into the passion of these cantatas rather than their archness, and the gorgeous additions by cellist Jonathan Manson, theorbist Andrew Maginley and harpsichordist Guillermo Brachetta take their inspiration from word-meaning.'

- BBC Music Magazine

'Zazzo taps into the passion of these cantatas rather than their archness, and the gorgeous additions by cellist Jonathan Manson, theorbist Andrew Maginley and harpsichordist Guillermo Brachetta take their inspiration from word-meaning.'
BBC Music Magazine

Part recital and part musical detective drama, ‘Handel Uncaged’ is, ironically, entirely captivating [...] Zazzo, skilfully supported by Jonathan Manson (cello and gamba), Andrew Maginley (theorbo, guitar) and Guillermo Brachetta (harpsichord), sounds fresher than ever here in music that celebrates his feathery softness and roundness of tone.
Gramophone

'[...] there is always pleasure to be had from Zazzo’s pleasing timbre and ease of production.'
Early Music Review

'Zazzo clearly loves this music and he makes and engaging story-teller. A considerable amount of scholarship has gone into this recording, but what really comes over in performance is the engagement and sense of delight from the performers.'
Planet Hugill

'The voice is fine, the small continuo group plays convincingly'
Lark Reviews

Credits
© 2019 Resonus Limited
Ⓟ 2019 Resonus Limited
Catalogue No. INV1002
Producer, engineer & editor: Adam Binks
EAN: 5060262791615
Cover image: Nancy Horowitz (www.nancy-horowitz.at)
Release date: 1 November 2019