Il Pomo d'Oro & Riccardo Minasi - Handel: Partenope (2015) [CD Rip]

As George Frideric Handel's Italian operas grow in popularity, some of his less familiar works are receiving better coverage on disc. Such is the case with his 1730 opera, Partenope, an unusually lighthearted comedy that once languished in obscurity, though it has been increasingly performed and recorded. This 2015 Erato release by conductor Riccardo Minasi and his period ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro offers a fine production, featuring soprano Karina Gauvin as Queen Partenope, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky as Prince Arsace, and mezzo-soprano Teresa Iervolino as the cross-dressing Rosmira. Partenope is entertaining in its bubbling energy and bright sonorities, and though it was cast in Handel's characteristic opera seria form, the libretto involves comic elements that would become more common in Classical era operas, such as a breeches role, a lovers' triangle, a thwarted duel, and a provocative revelation at the climax. Highly recommended for Handel connoisseurs and fans of Baroque opera. -- Blair Sanderson