It would be hard to imagine a more seductive hero, a more passionate performer, a more glorious interpreter of the great Romantic roles of Verdi and Puccini than Rolando Villazón. Yet the singer’s temporary withdrawal from the spotlight in 2007 opened up a wealth of new possibilities for the singer. Among the ‘new paths’ that Villazón envisioned for the future were ‘adventures’ such as Baroque music. Next to a recording of works by the early Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi (available from UNITEL CLASSICA), he now offers a selection of arias by George Frideric Handel. This intimate concert featuring Villazón and the Gabrieli Players under Paul McCreesh was filmed in a setting that ideally suits the style of the music, St. Paul’s Church in Deptford, near London, one of Britain’s finest Baroque churches. It was built between 1712 and 1730, almost exactly when Handel was writing his most celebrated operas and oratorios.
Handel, Theodora
Handel’s own favourite amongst his English oratorios, Theodora proved a surprising failure at its 1750 London premiere, receiving only three performances and being revived just once before its composer’s death. That Theodora is now recognized as one of the most sublime and moving creations of Handel’s final years is largely due to the passionate advocacy of William Christie, who here directs his peerless period-instrument ensemble Les Arts Florissants for this new production at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. The starry cast is led by young British soprano Katherine Watson, instilling the title-role with her “vocal bloom, emotional depth and beguiling phrasing” (New York Times), and leading French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky, bringing his “seraphic timbre” (Les Echos) to the role of Didymus. Directed with “luminous simplicity” (Artistik Rezo) by Stephen Langridge this powerful and uplifting production transforms its historical story into a “timeless yet terribly current” (France TV Info.com) plea for freedom of conscience and religious tolerance in contemporary society.