This is a beautiful selection of arias from Handel’s oratorios composed in the latish 1740s. Each one is a gem and David Daniels again proves himself the leading “operatic” (yes, I know these are from oratorios) countertenor of our day. He possesses one of the few countertenor voices that might be called “sensual”, not to mention one of the few with any respectable volume. He even puts pressure on it occasionally–as opposed, say, to Drew Minter or Alfred Deller, who aim (aimed) for a diaphonous sound.
Some of these arias were composed for male altos or sopranos, others for mid-range women; Daniels is at home wherever. The dazzling opening aria from Belshazzar is two-and-a-half minutes of trumpets a-blazing along with the voice; the next aria, from the same work, is five minutes of introspection. Just listening to the one after the other gives us an example of how fine a singer Daniels is: he alters his tone remarkably for the two characters, first offering coloratura fireworks and great agility, and then long legato, smooth delivery, and lovely tone. Athamas’ love song from Semele is just gorgeous–heartfelt and luscious.
And so it goes throughout the CD. In aria after aria Daniels ornaments very lightly; when simplicity is called for, as in “He was despised”, simplicity is what we get. He stretches that last-mentioned aria to almost 11 minutes, but it’s sung about as beautifully as you’ll ever hear it. John Nelson leads the modern-instrument Ensemble Orchestre de Paris with an absolutely correct sense of Baroque style, and it plays handsomely. This disc is stunning. [11/2/2002]
