Amanda Forsythe - Italian Cantatas & Arias - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Classical

When the 18-year-old Georg Friedrich Handel arrived in Hamburg to immerse himself in the dazzling world of opera, he sat in the violin section as though he could not count to five, according to his friend Johann Mattheson. A year later, he presented his first stage work, and by the age of 21, he had already won the hearts of the Italians - a prodigy of boundless versatility to whom no task was too difficult. Even where the clergy prohibited opera performances, the Inchdear SaxonInch, as they called him, ignited dramatic sparks. The two cantatas - one about the sorceress Armida, abandoned by her beloved, and the other about Emperor Nero's mother, condemned to death - are intense monodramas that continue to spellbind audiences today, especially when staged by an artist like Amanda Forsythe. One is grateful for the instrumental interludes that provide moments of respite between these captivating Inchpocket operasInch. Album Tracks 1. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~1. Accompagnato Dietro l'orme fugaci 2. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~2. Aria Ah', crudele 3. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~3. Recitativo Per te mi struggo 4. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~4. Accompagnato O voi, dell' incostante 5. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~5. Aria Venti, fermate 6. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~6. Recitativo Ma che parlo, che dico? 7. Armida abbandonata HWV 105, cantata for Soprano, 2 Violins & Basso continuo~7. Aria In tanti affanni 8. Sinfonia in B flat major HWV 339 for 2 Violins & Basso continuo~Allegro 9. Sinfonia in B flat major HWV 339 for 2 Violins &am

Amanda Forsythe

Italian Cantatas & Arias

CD

Cpo Records