Arias & scenes from l’Orféo et Euridice, Ascanio in Alba, Antigona et Ifigenia in Tauride (Traetta), Il trionfo di Clelia (Hasse), Artaserse (Bach), Ezio (Gluck), Mitridate (Mozart)
In the famous Preface to Alceste (1767), Christoph Willibald Gluck and his librettist Ranieri de’ Calzabigi posited a new direction for opera. They spoke of moving beyond Baroque forms, of striving for a new naturalism in opera. They wanted, in Calzabigi’s lovely phrase, to liberate the language of the heart. Taken from the height of this Reform period, the arias on this disc reveal composers exploring and experimenting, at struggle and at play, as they create the new forms that bring to opera the noble simplicity of the Classical era. Bejun Mehta returns to the Wigmore Hall and Covent Garden in 2014 [Mitridate].
„Bejun Mehta’s disc towers above the other Handel ‘medley’ recordings currently fashionable among opera stars. Musicality and a brilliant intelligence emanate from every track. Mehta and René Jacobs, by contrast, achieve a perfect meeting of musical minds…This is not just another aria collection, but a celebration of genius, in composition and performance alike.” (BBC Music Magazine)
‘AMERICAN Bejun Mehta is a phenomenon among today’s countertenors…he explores a universe of colour and emotion, and demonstrates the sheer effortlessness of his delivery (never once do you sense that slight unnatural unease so common among average countertenors) with the supremely stylish backing of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra under René Jacobs. Welsh soprano Rosemary Joshua also features.’ (Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman)
Tracklist:
01. Orfeo ed Euridice: Aria Che puro ciel!
02. Orfeo ed Euridice: Coro Vieni a’ regni del riposo
03. Ascanio in Alba: Recitativo Perché tacer degg’io?
04. Ascanio in Alba: Aria Cara, lontano ancora
05. Antigona: Aria Ah, se lo vedi piangere
06. Il Trionfo di Clelia: Aria Dei di Roma, ah perdonate!
07. Artaserse: Recitativo accompagnato No, che non ha la sorte
08. Artaserse: Aria Vo solcando un mar crudele
09. Ifigenia in Tauride: Dormi Oreste!
10. Ezio: Aria Pensa a serbarmi, o cara
11. Ascanio in Alba: Aria Ah di sì nobil alma
12. Antigona: Aria Ah, sì, da te dipende
13. Ezio: Aria Se il fulmine sospendi
14. Mitridate: Recitativo accompagnato Vadasi…
15. Mitridate: Aria Già dagli occhi il velo è tolto
Personnel:
Bejun Mehta, countertenor
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
René Jacobs, conductor
RIAS Kammerchor (on track 2, 9)
![Philippe Jaroussky - Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/10/POg4EC0.jpg "Philippe Jaroussky - Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Bejun Mehta - Carl Heinrich Graun: Silla (2023) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2023/06/12/xhdsp2fz397fb_600.jpg "Bejun Mehta - Carl Heinrich Graun: Silla (2023) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Philippe Jaroussky - La storia di Orfeo (2017) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/01/KK0BKya.jpg "Philippe Jaroussky - La storia di Orfeo (2017) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![René Jacobs - Weber: Der Freischütz (2022) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://i0.wp.com/imghd.xyz/images/2022/06/14/bpmmro0yh3ojc_600.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1 "René Jacobs - Weber: Der Freischütz (2022) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques - Lully: Alceste (2017) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/05/8fAYDVu.jpg "Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques - Lully: Alceste (2017) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Maria Callas - Remastered The Complete Studio Recordings 1949-1969 (2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/12/Vw7IHlv-1.jpg "Maria Callas - Remastered The Complete Studio Recordings 1949-1969 (2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Miah Persson, Chamber Orchestra of Europe - Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, K588 (2013) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/06/AtEbnen.jpg "Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Miah Persson, Chamber Orchestra of Europe - Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, K588 (2013) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Sunhae Im & Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin - Orfeo(s): Italian and French Cantatas (2015) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/06/dGp0M06.jpg "Sunhae Im & Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin - Orfeo(s): Italian and French Cantatas (2015) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![L’Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar - Christina Pluhar: Orfeo Chaman (2016) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/11/dtyoVWH.jpg "L’Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar - Christina Pluhar: Orfeo Chaman (2016) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Rene Jacobs & Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin - Handel: Agrippina (2011) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/48kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/06/VIDQOT4.jpg "Rene Jacobs & Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin - Handel: Agrippina (2011) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/48kHz]")
![Valer Sabadus - Le belle immagini (2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/48kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/07/2FxaxyW.jpg "Valer Sabadus - Le belle immagini (2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/48kHz]")
![Max Emmanuel Cencic - Rokoko: Hasse Opera Arias (2014) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2017/08/z4RzAUM.jpg "Max Emmanuel Cencic - Rokoko: Hasse Opera Arias (2014) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/96kHz]")
![Nicolas Achten - Il Pianto d’Orfeo - The Birth of Opera (2014) [FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2017/12/gDNRdC1.jpg "Nicolas Achten - Il Pianto d’Orfeo - The Birth of Opera (2014) [FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]")
![Rene Jacobs - J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion (2013) {5.1 Edition} [FLAC 5.1 Surround 24bit/96kHz]](https://getimg.link/images/imgimgimg/uploads/2018/11/6ZBQph7.jpg "Rene Jacobs - J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion (2013) {5.1 Edition} [FLAC 5.1 Surround 24bit/96kHz]")