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Alcina, opera, HWV 34 (Альцина)

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Les Arts Florissants Chorus, Les Arts Florissants Orchestra

George Frederick Handel - Alcina, opera, HWV 34

Handel premiered the opera Alcina on April 26, 1735. Like Orlando, this magic opera is based on cantos from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and has a fairy-tale aspect about it. Handel turned the character of Alcina, a siren who disposes of her ex-lovers by turning them into all kinds of objects, into a powerful but evil sorceress, a vulnerable woman, and finally a defeated, despairing queen. Her six arias cast her in many moods as the plot progresses and she faces her own downfall. In "Ah! mio Cor" and "Ombre pallide," she is the rejected woman, desolate and despairing, then angry and vengeful. "Ma quando tornerai" is a resolution aria in which she gathers her strength together and vows revenge against the lover who deserted her. Not only does Ruggiero desert her, but at the end of Act Two her magic powers also fail her. In a dramatically accompanied recitative, she invokes the evil spirits to aid her but ends up calling to the empty skies in angular intervals that are answered by silence.

The other characters are well developed and complex as well. The hero Ruggiero begins the opera under Alcina's spell, completely unmanly and petty. However, as the drama progresses, he grows into his heroic stature and breaks the spells that bind Alcina's victims. In Act III, Ruggiero has a resolution aria as well, in which he compares himself to a tigress. The brilliant vocal writing is accompanied by horns and shows him finally in a truly heroic light.

Alcina was heavily influenced by French trends at the time. It shows Handel's knowledge of Rameau, his ability to write a ballet spectacle and make use of the chorus in the French manner, to hold large scenes together and integrate it into the drama. The second scene of the first act sets the stage for the drama with typically French glitter, as the pleasure's of Alcina's enchanted court are displayed in a spectacle of dance and chorus. The finale is also a ballet, as Alcina's spells are broken and her former lovers regain their human forms.

All of the contrasting elements of Alcina are interwoven to create the drama. Any omission would damage the whole. And although the ending is a happy one for the lovers Bradamante and Ruggiero, and for the victims of Alcina, hers is the central figure. Her powerful character draws us into the tragedy that is revealed through her loss of power.

-Rita Laurance (All Music Guide)

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For a feast of female voices, richly varied and each a sumptuous delight, this recording of Handel's Alcina is hard to beat. The acclaimed 1999 production at the Garnier Opera in Paris was one that cried out to be preserved for posterity: Renee Fleming in the title role may be the primary attraction, but with such singers as Susan Graham, Natalie Dessay, and Kathleen Kuhlmann, this is a stunning ensemble cast, not just a star vehicle. Fleming, Graham, and Dessay were essaying baroque opera for the first time, and although they don't sound like specialists, they clearly relish the music and its opportunities for virtuoso singing and creative ornamentation. All of them deeply identify with their characters, and their warmth, personality, and dazzling vocal technique make this an Alcina that transcends period style to simply become great opera. The singers are expertly guided by William Christie, who elicits a sparkling performance from the incomparable Les Arts Florissants. The bulk of ALCINA is made up of extended solo arias, typical of baroque opera. Essentially, it's a series of vocal showpieces, and the highlights are many. Fleming fans take note: There's a whole album's worth of her solo singing here. As the sorceress whose magic won't buy her love, her arias range from the quiet devastation of "Si, son quella!" to the bitterness of "Ma quando tornerai." In the mezzo-soprano "trouser" role (originally composed for a castrato) of Ruggiero, Graham shines in the acrobatics of "Sta nell'Ircana" as well as the more subdued lyricism of "Di te mi rido." Dessay's sparkling coloratura and Kuhlmann's agile alto expand the opera's vocal and emotional range with panache in their superbly executed arias. The live recording conveys a realistic sense of staging and action, including the ecstastic audience response that greets the end of each act.

- Scott Paulin, Barnes & Noble

music.barnesandnoble.com/Handel-Alcina/William-Christie/e/685738023325