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Home » Composers » German Composers » GF Handel » Handel Operas » Rodelinda
Rodelinda (1725)
By George Frideric Handel (Georg Friedrich Händel)
Recordings
 Handel.
Rodelinda, Regina de'Longobardi. (HWV 19, London 1725).
DG Archiv 00289 477 539-1 (3 CDs, May 2005).
Review by Philippe Gelinaud. Alan Curtis, Il Complesso
Barocco. Rodelinda: Simone Kermes, soprano; Bertarido: Marijana
Mijanović, mezzo-soprano; Eduige: Sonia Prina, contralto; Unulfo:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux, mezzo-soprano; Grimoaldo: Steve Davislim,
tenor; Garibaldo: Vito Priante, bass.
2005 NewOlde.com Best Baroque Italian Opera CD Award.
Clearly the finest commercial Rodelinda recording to
date. Includes the first recordings of two of Handel's five
major changes for the second version -- a duet immediately
before the final coro, and a completely different substitute
aria for Unulfo to the same words ("Sono i colpi della sorte")
near the end of Act I, neither of which is in the HG edition.
The original version of Unulfo's aria is dramatic and familiar,
but I agree with Alan Curtis that the less demanding replacement
in C minor for Baldi is not musically inferior, as suggested by
Dean & Knapp, and actually suits the situation better. The
original version for Pacini is included in an appendix. Still
unrecorded is the substitute aria for Rodelinda that is in the
HG edition and bears a striking resemblance to "Se pietà". My
only reservations are Screaming Simone's cadenzas up to a high
sustained note. However, her singing otherwise is much more
satisfying that that of most other sopranos known for similarly
obnoxious cadenzas. There's not much else to criticize. The
booklet includes an updated, complete version of the excellent
translation for Decca. This is a nearly perfect studio
recording. Imagine what the DG engineers might have done with
Curnyn's Partenope.
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 Handel.
Rodelinda, Regina de'Longobardi. (HWV 19, London 1725).
dhm (deutsche harmonia mundi) RD 77192 (Europe) & 05472-77192-2
(US). (3 CDs 1991). Michael Schneider, La Stagione Frankfurt.
Rodelinda: Barbara Schlick, soprano; Eduige: Claudia Schubert,
contralto; Bertarido: David Cordier, countertenor; Unulfo: Kai
Wessel, countertenor; Grimoaldo: Christoph Prégardien, tenor;
Garibaldo: Gotthold Schwarz, bass. Good recording, but
undermined by BMG's moronic bean counters. The booklet in the
U.S. edition includes the English version from the original
wordbook but not the Italian libretto.
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 Handel.
Rodelinda, Regina de'Longobardi. (HWV 19, London 1725).
Göttingen Handel Festival. (3 CDs 2000). Nicholas McGegan.
Concerto Köln. Rodelinda: Dominique Labelle, soprano; Bertarido:
Robin Blaze, countertenor; Grimoaldo: Iain Parton, tenor; Eduige:
Ewa Wolak, contralto; Unulfo: Cécile van de Sant, contralto;
Garibaldo: Andrew Foster-Williams, bass. I haven't heard this
recording. Sold by the
German Handel Society. |
 Handel.
Rodelinda, Regina de'Longobardi. (HWV 19, London 1725).
Virgin 7243 5 45277 2 2 (3 CDs 1998). Nicholas Kraemer, Raglan
Baroque Players. Rodelinda: Sophie Daneman, soprano; Bertarido:
Daniel Taylor, countertenor; Grimoaldo: Adrian Thompson, tenor;
Eduige: Catherine Robbin, contralto; Unulfo: Robin Blaze,
countertenor; Garibaldo: Christopher Purves, bass. Less complete
than Schneider's recording.
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Original Cast
Rodelinda: Francesca Cuzzoni, soprano; Bertarido: Senesino, alto castrato; Grimoaldo: Francesco Borosini, tenor; Eduige: Anna Dotti, contralto; Unulfo: Andrea Pacini, alto castrato; Garibaldo: Giuseppe Maria Boschi, bass.
References
Winton Dean & J. Merrill Knapp. Handel's Operas, 1704-1726. (Oxford University Press 1995 (1987)).
R. Strohm, "Handel and his Italian opera texts". Essays on Handel and the Italian Opera. (Oxford University Press 1985).