Composers:Porpora, Hasse, Broschi, Giacomelli, Caldara
Compositions: Arias
Performers: Cecilia Bartoli ms, Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini
Catalogue Number: Decca 4850214

Having treated fans to album after album of esoteric opera arias over the last decade of her recording career, I was surprised to discover that Cecilia Bartoli’s latest was dedicated to Farinelli. Born Carlo Broschi, the 18th century’s star castrato is now extremely well-trodden ground for baroque specialists, with Valer Sabadus, Ann Hallenberg and Bejun Mehta just some of the singers who have lain recent claim to this repertoire on disc. But having...