Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Only a few years since emerging as a notable singer, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená hasn't stopped enchanting her audience. It is, after all, a rare pleasure to experience this unique voice with its warm and elegant timbre. Some of its aspects are apparent in her preceding recital, an unusual--and unusually beautiful--program of Czech love songs. With this account of Handel's Italian Cantatas, Kozená confirms the immense scope of her gifts. Better yet, her voice is once more "affirmed": it seems fresher, conveying even more emotion. Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre are hardly to be overlooked in this absolute success. They understand in their bones the kind of scarcely veiled energy that's fitting for the music of Handel. --Pierre Guillaume

Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski, Music, George Frideric Handel, Magdalena Kozená, Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Cantata, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Classical Vocals
Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Two out of three
  • Mannered Singing
  • A delightful album!
  • Magdalena Kozena
  • People I cannot stress too many times...
 Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
George Frideric Handel , Magdalena Kozená , Marc Minkowski , and Les Musiciens du Louvre
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by HandelAll Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
CantatasCantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
CantatasCantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00004YZ35
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Tracks:

  1. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Intro
  2. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Recitativo: Da Quel Giorno Fatale
  3. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Aria: Un Pensiero Voli In Ciel
  4. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Recitativo: Ma Fermati Pensier
  5. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Aria: Per Te Lasciai La Luce
  6. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Recitativo: Non Ti Bastava, Ingrato
  7. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Aria: Lascia Omai Le Brune Vele/Recitativo: Ma Siamo Giunti In Lete
  8. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Entree
  9. Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Arietta E Recitativo: In Queste Amene Piagge Serene (Minuet)/Si, Disse...
  10. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Recitativo: O Numi Eterni!
  11. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Aria: Gia Superbo Del Mio Affanno
  12. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Recitativo: Ma Voi Forse Nel Cielo
  13. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Aria: Il Suol Che Preme
  14. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Recitativo: Ah! Che Ancor Nell'abisso/Furioso: Questi La Disperata Anima Mia
  15. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Aria: Alla Salma Infedel Porga La Pena
  16. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Recitativo: A Voi, A Voi, Padre, Consorte
  17. La Lucrezia, HWV 145: Arioso: Gia Nel Seno Comincia A Compir/Furioso: Ma Se Qui Non M'e Dato
  18. Tra Le Fiamme, HWV 170: Aria: Tra Le Fiamme Tu Scherz/Recitativo: Dedalo Gia Le Fortunate Penne - Magdalena Kozena
  19. Tra Le Fiamme, HWV 170: Aria: Pien Di Nuovo E Bel Diletto/Recitivo: Si, Si Pur Troppo E Vero - Magdalena Kozena
  20. Tra Le Fiamme, HWV 170: Aria: Voli Per L'aria Chi Puo Volare/Recitativo: L'uomo, Che Nacque Per... - Magdalena Kozena
  21. Tra Le Fiamme, HWV 170: Da Capo: Tra Le Fiamme Tu Scherzi - Magdalena Kozena

Amazon.com

Only a few years since emerging as a notable singer, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená hasn't stopped enchanting her audience. It is, after all, a rare pleasure to experience this unique voice with its warm and elegant timbre. Some of its aspects are apparent in her preceding recital, an unusual--and unusually beautiful--program of Czech love songs. With this account of Handel's Italian Cantatas, Kozená confirms the immense scope of her gifts. Better yet, her voice is once more "affirmed": it seems fresher, conveying even more emotion. Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre are hardly to be overlooked in this absolute success. They understand in their bones the kind of scarcely veiled energy that's fitting for the music of Handel. --Pierre Guillaume

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Two out of three.......2005-05-29

Magdalena Kozena is a current favorite of the classical vocal recording scene, no small feat, with an extensive discography focusing mainly on early and Czech music. There are many pleasures to be had from this recording of three of Handel's Italian solo cantatas. Les Musiciens du Louvre is a superb Baroque ensemble, and its director, Marc Minkowski, has opted for a considerable variety of sound in the continuo that livens the recitatives in particular.

When she is not pressed by the frequently extremely quick tempi or going for too much dramatic weight in the recitatives, Kozena sings with fresh, pleasing tone and considerable fluency in the frequently intricate coloratura passages. Overall two of the cantatas, "Delirio amoroso" and "Tra le fiamme," come off well. The third, "La Lucrezia," of greater emotional range and vocally the most demanding, finds both Kozena and Minkowski going all-out for drama. Kozena's voice is simply not up to the demands she makes on it here, with consequent white, off-pitch and frequently plain unpleasant results. Whether the intended interpretation was her idea, Minkowski's, or a collaboration, it is ill-judged in terms of her particular strengths, and consequently a major blot on an otherwise good recording.

3 out of 5 stars Mannered Singing.......2004-08-05

This is a somewhat disappointing recording. The cantatas are interesting, though not Handel in his full glory. The orchestral work is very good. The major problem is Kozena's singing. Despite her lovely voice, much of the vocal work in these pieces sounds artificial and even strained at times. I don't know if this is an effort to duplicate 18th century performance practices or simply to lend a dramatic flavor to the work. Regardless, it doesn't seem to work very well. This is surprising because Kozena's other recordings have shown that she is excellent singer with good artistic judgement.

5 out of 5 stars A delightful album!.......2004-06-19

I was introduced to Magdalena Kozená's voice through her very nice "Bach Arias" album a couple of years ago. Then, shortly afterwards a good friend of mine told me how wonderful this Handel album also was!

One day, I was riding in a friend's car. He had brought this album solely for me to listen and played track #3 ("Delirio Amoroso, HWV 99: Aria: Un Pensiero Voli In Ciel"). I was instantly convinced!

This whole CD is delightful, a sheer joy! Whenever I try to convince anyone of it's beauty I simply play track #3. It's funny but it always works!!!

Give track #3 a try!...

5 out of 5 stars Magdalena Kozena.......2002-04-20

Magdalena Kozena,
When Magdalena was 11 years old, her father bought her a violin once owned by Handel himself. She was however much more interested in the works of the romantics. She studied the repetoire of Dvorak, Brahms, and Schubert but neglected her studies in the Baroque. She had great sucess but found herself unsatisfied. That is when she re-discovered Handel. In a depressed state after a Brahms leider recital, she locked herself in her childhood bedroom and wept.That's when she found that dusty old violin her father had given her so many years before. Completely naked, tears streaming down her cheeks, she picked it up and began to play the Handel Italian Cantatas. What came out could only be described as miraculous.
She knew that she was truley inspired and was on the verge of creating a sensational rendition of the Handel Italian Cantatas. She called Marc Minowskli and had him over to her place to witness her performance of the Handel Italian Cantatas. She cooked Veal and potatas.The rest is history. A wonderful CD.

5 out of 5 stars People I cannot stress too many times..........2002-02-22

... the importance of making sure the CD you review matches the one you are listening to. The one in question is by MAGDALENA KOZENA and Marc Minkowski. It will win all the usual awards from Gramophone, BBC Music, Fanfare, etc. and it will of course deserve them. It is not as great as Janet Baker's Lucrezia, nor is Renee Fleming Lotte Lehmann or Roberto Alagna Leopold Simoneau. The best modern recording is what we're after and you cannot go wrong here or with the somewhat harder to find Veronique Gens on Virgin Veritas. A matter of taste between the two, I personally would own both even at full price but the edge to Gens although I find Minkowski's ensemble the more exciting. And exciting is what this music is -- full throttle, red blooded drama that needs all-out vocal performances which are what you'll find here. Kozena a folk singer? Yeah, and I'm Lennox Lewis!

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