Among a few other notable things, Handel was a brilliant melodist, especially adept at creating bright, happy, uplifting tunes, the kind that seem so perfect and personally satisfying they can’t help but be universally loved. They also have a way of staying with you once you’ve heard them. The very first few notes of the first piece on this program–the Violin Sonata in F–struck me with instant but somewhat confused recognition. It turns out that some three decades ago I first struggled to play this piece and haven’t heard it since. But I remembered every note. Nicola Porpora, an almost exact contemporary of Handel, is another matter–not because he doesn’t write good tunes, but because his music is so rarely performed. In the 1730s, this famed Italian singing teacher and opera composer (who also taught Haydn), arrived in London, in part to help his backers challenge Handel’s preeminence in the city’s opera theatres. The music on this disc, which includes soprano arias from each composer, the abovementioned Handel violin sonata, and an excellent cello sonata by Porpora, makes for interesting comparison, and leaves no doubt as to which of these “rivals” had the superior talent. Just listen to Handel’s “Meine Seele hört” or “Süsse stille”–eloquently sung by Christine Brandes–and you’ll know on whom to put your money. The performances, on period instruments, are first rate, especially the solo violin work by Ryan Brown, all of which is complemented by warm, naturally resonant sound.
