Sarah Connolly and the Gottingen Festival Orchestra: EML 18 October

[doversoul1]

22.35

Elin Manahan Thomas introduces highlights of a gala concert from this year's Göttingen International Handel Festival, including arias by Handel and Charpentier sung by mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, and orchestral excerpts from Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre's opera Céphale et Procris. Laurence Cummings directs the Göttingen Festival Orchestra.

Handel: Excerpts from Serse: Overture; Frondi tenere ... Ombra mai fu; Più che penso
Jacquet de La Guerre: Excerpts from Céphale et Procris: Ouverture; Passepied pour les violons - Passepied pour les hautbois; Air pour les Athéniens; Second Air pour les Athéniens; Air des Démons
Passacaille
Charpentier: Quel prix de mon amour (from Médée)
Handel: Overture 'Alceste'
Handel: Excerpts from Ariodante: E vivo ancora ... Scherza infida; Dopo notte, altra e funesta

Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano)
Göttingen Festival Orchestra
Laurence Cummings (director).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06h93s3

[doversoul1]

No great discoveries, except for excerpts from Jacquet de La Guerre’s opera but a very enjoyable hour with many great arias. Forget wobbly, ugly sopranos and come listen to the great mezzo, Sarah Connolly.

I think Elin Manahan Thomas presents the programme well; she is nicely enthusiastic without excess use of adjectives or superlatives.

[Oldcrofter]

A couple of friends of mine listen to Sarah Connolly regularly - their house is just above hers on a Gloucestershire hillside and she can be heard rehearsing her repertoire - maybe sometimes while she's doing the household chores. She's a very down-to-earth, humorous and feisty mother, her daughter attends a local school. Not at all the image of the traditional diva touring the world's opera houses - though of course she does perform in opera houses & concert halls across the world.