With their founder and conductor Christophe Rousset,
Les Talens Lyriques appear all over the world,
presenting both new revivals and established
masterpieces of Baroque and Classical eras.
Among their most notable achievements and
Christophe Rousset’s first recording of a Handel opera,
was Scipione, recorded 17 years ago. That recording on the fnac label has been
deleted, furthermore, no other version has been recorded since.
“Scipione is composed with a libretto by Antonio Salvi (1704), and was
adapted for Handel by Paolo Antonio Rolli. It deals with rivalry over love
between the two castratos, set in the context of the conquest of the
Iberian peninsula by Publius Cornelius Scipio around 210 B.C.
From a musical point of view, the music is often gorgeous, with beautiful
arias and several accompanied recitatives – one being a meditation of
Scipione about power, desire and virtue (Act III scene I). The celebrated
‘Scoglio d’immota fronte’ is an aria sung by Berenice at the end of Act II.
It is a tempest aria, but not one in which the character is subjected to the
raging elements. Here, Berenice compares herself to a rock and faces
the raging elements with assurance.
Another of the numerous highlights is ‘Se mormora rivo o fronda’,
Scipione’s magnificent pastoral lamentation (with flute, Act III scene 2).
This beautiful work is here served by excellent interpreters.
Sandrine Piau’s and Derek Lee Ragin’s performances are particularly
notable. The American countertenor offers here one of the best
performances of a countertenor heard in a Handel opera recording.
Sandrine Piau is perfectly at her ease from the beautiful Sicilienne at the
end of the first scene to the end of the work, and particularly in ‘Scoglio
d’immota fronte’. Her frequent high notes are probably not totally
idiomatic but the pleasure felt by the listener is totally ‘authentic’.
Unfortunately this indispensable recording is not available any longer
as the Fnac Music label disappeared some years ago. However, we do
hope that another recording label will be able to re-issue it.”
Gfhandel.org