The appeal of this Glossa release is dual: it introduces both a forgotten composer and a countertenor on the rise. Attilio Ariosti was a Bologna-born composer (and monk) who, like the slightly younger Handel, followed his talent to opportunities around Europe. He worked in Venice, Berlin, Paris, and finally London, where he, again like Handel, became a director of the Royal Academy of Music. Indeed, these alto arias could be mistaken for everyday Handel. Ariosti, at least here, did not try to outdo Handel in terms of vocal ...
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The appeal of this Glossa release is dual: it introduces both a forgotten composer and a countertenor on the rise. Attilio Ariosti was a Bologna-born composer (and monk) who, like the slightly younger Handel, followed his talent to opportunities around Europe. He worked in Venice, Berlin, Paris, and finally London, where he, again like Handel, became a director of the Royal Academy of Music. Indeed, these alto arias could be mistaken for everyday Handel. Ariosti, at least here, did not try to outdo Handel in terms of vocal heroics; for the most part, these pieces are melodic and elegantly contrapuntal, even though his alto arias specialized in evil characters. Sample the deliciously dark "Quando il mondo fabbricò" from the opera La madre de' Maccabei, written in 1704 in Vienna. The album title London is something of a misnomer; most of the pieces were composed there, but four substantial ones are from Vienna. The voice of countertenor Filippo Mineccia, big and round, works very well in this music;...
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