Ah! mio cor - Joyce DiDonato LIVE - Alcina - Handel

[CiboCeleste]

Joyce DiDonato is arguably the best Alcina, although the sound of soprano cannot be overpassed. What I like in this recording is a great tempo and overall musical direction - very distint and varied, not too slow, with sections clearly defined. Minkowsky is a true master. DiDonato was a great Dejanira in his Hercules as well.

[Snuti]

@ aschii91 : Sounds like a lame team for a new Giulio Cesare RECORDING :/ They'd be fine on stage but I'm failing to see the point of recording them.

My favourite Cleopatra is Tatiana Troyanos , some of her arias are available here on youtube , check out V'adoro pupille and Se pieta :)

[thecelticspirit]

Um, somehow, I much more impressed by her performance on her CD. Here the video is clearly lacking... Anyway, I love her Alcina, and in this aria, she's simply outstanding.

[beteltree]

I like her emotional commitment. And even though the screechiness can work for this piece, given what it's about, I still feel that the music lies too high for her. Her take of some of the phrases from @5:42 on feels contrived and doesn't fit with the overall energy in the rest of the piece. I wonder if this performance would be more perfectly to my liking if it were part of a fully-staged production instead of a concert piece. OVERALL, a good performance w some I don't care for.

[operabaroque]

The best Cleopatra ? Cecilia Bartoli !!

[pedrofribeiro]

@operabaroque Gargling lady? Not a chance in hell.. maybe the 35th best... The best Cleopatra is clearly Kathleen Battle.

[lalagonegaga]

I said it a million times and I'll say it again: I'm very opposed to mezzos singing soprano parts. Whenever I hear such a thing (in 9 cases out of 10 it sounds bad), I remeber Kozena who ruined the best recording of Cesare for me with her dreadful Cleopatra. HOWEVER, I might as well change my opinion on the topic after hearing DiDonato's wonderful Alcina. Probably the best singer in this role I have ever heard. I can't possibly be too vocal in recomending her recording of this opera to everyone.

[aschii91]

OMG! No insults for Kozena's Cleopatra! She was the best mezzo who ever sung Cleopatra! However for your joy, in the upcoming recording of Handel's Giulio Cesare with Petrou Emanuela Galli will be Cleopatra. Together with Basso as Tolomeo, Nesi as Sesto and Hammarström as Cesare

[lalagonegaga]

LOL! Well, it's all just a matter of personal taste. :) And the recording you mention sounds really intriguing. Hammarström as Cesare? I'm already drooling over that idea. :) My favourite Cleopatras would be Sandrine Piau and probably Veronica Cangemi... Come to think of it, I cannot possibly believe Simone Kermes still hasn't recorded the role. She would be absolutely perfect for it. :)

[aschii91]

The cd has already been recorded so you can hope to hear Hammarström Cesare...I tell you I have a good source :)

[bf2019]

@lalagonegaga I actually agree Simone Kermes as difficult as she is, would be a great Cleopatra, Veronica is great, as is Sandrine....Joyce here sounds strange....emotional performance is great, but something never sounds right...I love Joyce generally....also frankly Patricia Petibon has recorded some great Alcina parts, as has Vivica Genaux....mmmmm

[asdfopera]

She's a good Alcina. There needs to be a production mounted for her somewhere after all the major houses stop casting her to sing Rosina.

[marieose]

The lady is good, as Crindoro writes, but don't you find the voice a bit screechy ?

[Crindoro]

JDD IS Alcina!! Intelligent, technically assured artistry of the highest level mixed with consistently beautiful tone and keen emotional involvement: no one is beyond her in this role! BRAVA!!

[pedrofribeiro]

@Crindoro Sorry, but Kathleen Battle, surely, is.

[andreasscholl]

DiDonato singing soprano?

Or transposed?

It sounds verry good, heart breaking.