Sandrine Piau - Handel Opera Seria

If this isn't the greatest of all Handel aria CDs, then I really don't know what it is. Just look at the reviews here and at amazon.co.uk. I have been fortunate enough to see and hear Sandrine Piau as a gorgeous Cleopatra in a magic performance of Handel's Giulio Cesare (under Jacobs' baton), a few months ago here in Amsterdam. Piau's stunning vocalism is sheer delight (as is her acting on stage, I can tell you). What a divine voice! With her vocal lightness and agility, restrained vibrato, catching energy and musical imagination, Sandrine Piau is the ideal Baroque soprano, putting more "famous" or overhyped Handelian "star" singers in the shade.More than any other Handel aria CD, this recording goes from one superb track to another, covering a great variety of dramatic sentiments and instrumental colors. Each of the twelve numbers on this disc is a carefully selected pearl. Particularly touching are Cleopatra's despair in 'Se pieta' (Giulio Cesare), Rodelinda's grief for her deceased husband in 'Ombre piante', Melissa's broken heart in 'Ah spietato' (Amadigi), the intense drama in 'Cor di padre' (Tamerlano), and Deidamia's distress at losing Achilles in 'M'ai resa infelice'. I really couldn't wish for more on a desert isle.Piau is masterly accompanied by Christophe Rousset and his youthful ensemble Les Talens Lyriques. Their period-instrument playing is sublime. Listen, for example, to the plaintive oboe in 'Ah spietato' and the tempestuous violins in 'Combattuta da due venti'. So, do yourself a favor and buy this heavenly CD! You won't regret it for a second.*Update: Piau's Mozart aria CD is equally impressive. You better buy both discs..

I have always enjoyed Sandrine's work - a wonderful voice - she relaxes me as the music washes over me

It doesn't often happen that a release gets so much unanimous enthusiastic praise from both critics and audiences alike, particularly if the release is from an independent company and the singer is not a heavily promoted "star". But here it is - Sandrine Piau's Handel recital on Naive seems to be outshining many vocal releases of the past year (it was released in 2004) and the reason for this stir is simple: it is a stupendous disc from a great singer who deserves a wider recognition.Everything is special here, even the cover. In an era when so many solo recitals try to attract us through flashy covers (and often not much more inside), Piau is courageous enough to appear in what may well be one of the most unflattering cover photos ever made. Through this photo, Piau seems to be making a bold statement: "I am not a cover girl, I am an artist".And what an artist! Every phrase in this recital is delivered with utmost honesty and spectacular technical assurance, nothing is calculated or contrived. What is even more important, every Handelian heroine portrayed here is vividly brought to life. There is not a moment of monotony or routine - the selections cover a variety of moods and allow the artist to display not only her stupendous technique but also phenomenal interpretative gifts.It is impossible to get tired of Piau's singing! Her voice and singing style should appeal to both camps of opera lovers: devotees of the HIP movement and those who are afraid of HIP because of the stigma of "white, bland voices" that became a trademark of the movement. Piau's voice is small and delicate, but there is nothing "white" or bland about it. It is a gorgeous instrument, flexible and colourful, able to convey a wide range of emotions without resorting to "special effects".It is of course tempting to compare Piau's recital with the other highly popular Handel discs of 2004 (by Lorraine Hunt, Sarah Connolly, Renee Fleming) but comparisons don't really make much sense here for each of those recitals has its own virtues and each singer her own faithful audience. Yet Piau's disc risks being overlooked in the USA since the French soprano is not quite a household name here (in spite of some marvellous solo recitals in her discography). Let's hope this fantastic new disc will change this. (Kicek)

French soprano Sandrine Piau is not as readily known as other Handelians, at least on this side of the pond, but she is certainly among the most gifted of interpreters as she proves on this wonderful recording of opera arias specifically written for the soprano voice. Even though mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson and soprano Renée Fleming have put out superb, higher profile recordings of Handel arias in the past few months, you can still confidently add this one to your collection thanks to Piau's thrilling, expressive vocalism, at once early-music in style with a powerful yet economical use of technique, well-balanced with a wide capacity for accurate coloratura and an immaculate technique sure to please Baroque purists.Piau displays impeccable taste in her highly personalized program. Instead of going for the more familiar gems like "Ombra mai fú" from "Serse", she has pulled together an anthology of Handelian prime donne that features arias composed over more than two decades. Many are from operas that are relatively obscure but still quite stunning, for example, the defiant "Scoglio d'immota fronte" from "Scipione", the dynamic "Brilla nell' alma un non inteso ancor" from "Alessandro" and the angry, distressed "M'ai resa infelice" from "Deidamia". Even with the better known operas, she choose not the showpieces but the ones that are worthy of rediscovery, such as "Verdi piante, erbette liete" from "Orlando", "Se pieta" from "Giulio Cesare in Egritto", "L'amor ed il destin" from "Partenope" and "Ombre piante, une funeste" from "Rodelinda", in which her painful expressiveness of want certainly gives Fleming a run for her money. Even the order of the program is commendable, as it reflects a wide gamut of emotions that make the recording feel like one cohesive work, even with the variety of characters and dramatic situations and rich vocal demands for which Handel is known. Piau's long-time collaboration with Christophe Rousset, who leads the wondrous and period-authentic playing of Les Talens Lyriques, has produced a seamless rapport that makes this an essential recording. Strongly recommended.

It's not often that "gobsmacked" turns out to be the word I was looking for, but I can think of none better to describe my reaction to this disc. I was drawn to it because I'd heard an enthusiastic reference and remembered that one of my desert island CDs - Couperin's 'Lecons de ténèbres' - is also a Rousset-Piau collaboration. But I had misgivings because I'm not overkeen on collections of arias from disparate works and feared that twelve opera seria arias might prove a bit penitential. So when I brought the disc home, I decided to ease my way into it by listening to the first three or four arias and then perhaps playing something else. Well, sixty-seven minutes later I was still listening to it and couldn't wait to return to it the next day. It's an absolute delight from beginning to end. The music is wonderful - all of it out of Handel's top drawer - and the singing is simply out of this world.

All selections in this recital are concerned with romantic love; they express a wide range of emotions from confidence and happiness to betrayal and loss. The first is an aria from Scipione, ‘A rock that remains unmoved amid the raging elements’, a demanding coloratura showpiece with a turbulent bass line. Angelica’s peaceful and lovely aria from Orlando tells of ‘verdant groves and lovely brook’, accompanied by 2 recorders. In two arias from Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Cleopatra mourns the departure of her beloved. These are exquisitely beautiful, with an obbligato line played by bassoon in its tenor register. In another virtuosic aria and exquisite arioso, Partenope sings of love, destiny and freedom. The selection from Amadigi (1715) is the earliest in this collection; Melissa’s aria tells of ‘pitiless betrayal’ accompanied by a plaintive obbligato oboe. ‘Sweet contentment’ returns in Rossane’s aria from Alessandro, expressed in a brilliant coloratura. It’s back to ashes with Rodelinda, whose lover has died. She is crushed; her drooping phrases are weakly echoed by flauto traverso. In her tempestuous aria from Faramondo, Clotilde compares her life to a shipwreck, and from Tamerlano, Asteria, who has lost both her father and her lover, sings plaintively of fear and ‘constant hatred’. In the penultimate selection from Deidamia (1741), the heroine asks the sea to swallow up the cruel man who has betrayed her. This was to be the last of Handel’s 42 Italian operas. The final selection from Arianna in Creta is the most extended, and the only piece in this collection originally written for a castrato. It begins optimistically; the weary pilgrim, Alceste, looks for the guidance of a helpful star; none can be found; the music sinks despondently into the bass, ending without resolution.Piau’s crystalline tone and exemplary technique are a perfect match for this demanding repertoire. She is expressive and sings beautifully and idiomatically, with ornamentation as needed. The period instrument ensemble, ‘Les Talens lyriques’ directed by Christophe Rousset specialises in French and Italian repertoire. They play stylishly and match every nuance of the singer. Sandrine Piau (b.1965) is especially noted for her interpretations of Vivaldi, Bach and Handel as well as of French repertoire. These recordings were made in 2004.Keith Davies Jones

Non mancate di acquistare questa raccolta di Arie di Handel.La scelta dei brani è eccellente nell'alternanza di vivacità e patetismo...L'interpretazione è eccellente: Sandrine Piau è, ritengo, la migliore interprete del repertorio di questo genere e la direzione di Rousset è travolgente! Ascoltate "Brilla nell'alma" e poi mi direte ...

I had never heard of Sandrine Piau, nor was I particularly familiar with Handel's many opera seria. However, on the strength of reviews here and elsewhere I decided to buy this wonderful CD, and am I glad that I did. The singing is sheer delight from start to finish, assured, secure, brilliant. And the orchestral accompaniment is equal to the diva's sublime performance. For those like me maybe more familiar with Handel's later (English) output, this feast of early Handel is a delight and a joy - what a genius he was. All the works (obviously) have an Italianate feel and all show off the voice to perfection, in a range of different styles and tempi. I could go on and on, but the simplest advice is just to mortgage your house, sell your granny, do whatever it takes to raise the money to buy this sublime CD; you won't regret it for a minute.

Effortless and stunning vocalism with immaculate technique together with great depth of feeling and fine orchestral playing. The whole recording is more than the sum of its individual parts; it expresses a range and depth of Handel's genius that no other opera recital recording to date does. Booklet notes place the aris in their context within the individual operas. Many arias are from lesser known Handel Operas. Winner of the Handel Society recording prize against very tough competition.