Magdalena Kožená - Il Giardino dei Sospiri

 
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MARCELLO / LEO / GASPARINI / G. F. HANDEL etc
Magdalena Kožená - Il Giardino dei Sospiri
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo), Collegium 1704, Václav Luks

[ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD ]

Release Date: Friday 17 May 2019

On her first Pentatone album, Czech star mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená returns to the baroque repertoire that launched her early career. Il giardino dei sospiri is a collection of scenes from secular cantatas on tragic love, ranging from Handel's Qual ti riveggio to new editions of works by Leo (Angelica e Medoro), Marcello (Arianna abbandonata) and Gasparini (Atalia).

These vocal works are connected through instrumental pieces by Handel (sinfonia of Agrippina) and Vinci (sinfonia from Maria dolorata).

Initially conceived as a scenic project, Il giardino dei sospiri offers a richly-faceted and profoundly moving aural drama. Kožená interprets the tragic heroines of these love stories with fervour, accompanied by Václav Luks and Collegium 1704.

"Kožená makes the most of a light, lyrical quality to perfectly depict a mood of carefree, happy seduction in the opening aria of Leo's Angelica e Medoro, carrying through in the sweet and lively following recitative and the flowing concluding aria. Hers is such an ingratiating voice, so pleasing throughout its range, so well-used, the vibrato so natural and focused, the fluidity, the lack of tension-well, I could go on, but you get the idea. This music certainly suits her, and it's very fine music, all of it, regardless of its relative obscurity on disc." 10/10 ClassicsToday

"Magdalena Kožená's voice comfortably displays consistent focus and a smoothness of tone across her range. Her low register sounds richer than ever. From her first note to her last Magdalena Kožená is captivating. Certainly, lovers of baroque music are in for a treat with this album." MusicWeb

"Kožená's dramatic and vocal powers are wonderfully displayed in Gasparini's kaleidoscope aria 'Ombre, cure, sospetti' (with its unrestrained runs and the bursts of emotion in its recitative-like sections), and they also permeate her heartfelt performance of Handel's 'Si muora'…This is a disc full of vocal delights and fascinating musical rarities." BBC Music

Tracks:

Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739): Arianna abbandonata

1) Prestissimo
2) Adagio assai
3) In minuet. Presto
4) Recitative: Dove, misera, dove
5) Aria: Come mai puoi
6) Recitative: Se fia che pensi, o caro
7) Aria: Che dolce foco in petto

Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730): Maria dolorata , Sinfonia

8) (Allegro)
9) Largo
10) (Minuet)

Francesco Gasparini (1661-1727): Atalia

11) Aria: Ombre, cure sospetti

Leonardo Leo (1694-1744): Or ch'è dal sol difesa (Angelica e Medoro)

12) Aria: Or ch'è dal sol difesa
13) Recitative: Siedi, siedi ben mio
14) Aria: Che detto avranno mai

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Agrippina

15) Sinfonia

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Qual ti riveggio, oh Dio, HWV 150

16) Recitative: Qual ti riveggio, oh Dio
17) Aria: Empio mare, onde crudeli
18) Recitative: Amor, che ascoso ne' suoi vaghi lumi
19) Aria: Se la morte non vorrà
20) Recitative: Questi dalla mia fronte
21) Aria: Si muora, si muora
22) Recitative: Ecco, gelide labbra

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