Verdi at his most inventive, proving himself a genius of comedic characterisationĮverything about Verdi’s late comic opera about a plump, arrogant, cowardly knight leaps from the stage: its ingenious libretto by the composer’s long-term collaborator, Arrigo Boito, combining elements of three Shakespeare plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor and both parts of Henry IV the detail of the orchestrations over which Verdi laboured, changing and revising right up to the day of the premiere and its sheer wit, often displayed through Verdi’s sudden and rapid changes of musical pace and direction.īut it’s the craftsmanship of the music that most impresses – Verdi rarely uses instruments simply to double his singers, instead employing them for an extraordinarily wide colour palette. Read our reviews of the latest Handel recordings here Recommended recording of Handel’s Giulio Cesare: Milena Storti (mezzo-sopranos), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto), Filippo Mineccia (countertenor), Johannes Weisser (baritone), Gianluca Buratto (bass) Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis In terms of orchestration, Handel is at the very height of his considerable powers. The intricate plot, placing the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra at its centre, never loses its focus, thanks partly to Nicola Francesco Haym’s brilliant libretto, but also to Handel’s dazzlingly original recitative work whose striking modulations constantly surprise and delight. Da capo arias are exquisitely paced, with Handel’s understanding of the expressive power of the human voice unrivalled in Baroque music. Why do opera singers use so much vibrato?Ī vast, rich score that displays the composer’s sharply honed instinct for dramatic paceĪt almost three-and-a-half hours, Giulio Cesare in Egitto is one of Handel’s longest and most elaborate creations (longer than Wagner’s Parsifal), and yet this seemingly unwieldy opera is actually delicately balanced, beautifully proportioned and always engaging.Read our reviews of the latest Wagner recordings here

Recommended recording of Wagner’s Die Walküre: Nina Stemme, John Lundgren, et al Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano (Opus Arte / DVD)

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