Handel’s time in London is worthy of its own opera, given all the baroque intrigue surrounding the mixed fortunes of his Italianate operas and the rise of the oratorio. Here, countertenor Carlo Visotli, together with Emmanuelle Haïm’s stylish band Le Concert d’Astrée, explores one of the fascinating aspects of this period: Handel’s collaboration with many Italian singers in the development that most English of musical forms – the oratorio.

English singers, it seems, were only favoured by the composer when practicality demanded it. Using Italians to sing English texts, did however have its drawbacks. Francesco Bernardi, the renowned castrato known as “Il Senesino”, caused either consternation or amusement when a line from Esther, “I come my Queen, to chaste delights” came across as “I comb my Queen to chase the lice”. 

Even so, from the 1730s to the early 1750s Handel was happy to translate, transpose and rework his oratorios for Italian singers. Vistoli clearly relishes mining this rich vein of musical gold, marrying passion and elegance in selections from Esther, Deborah, Belshazzar, Theodora, Saul, Athalia and Messiah.

There is certainly nothing lousy about Vistoli’s diction in either English or Italian. In fact, the warm clarity of his instrument in perfectly matched with the suavity of Haïm’s instrumental forces, and in several numbers by a mellifluous partnership with soprano Giulia Semenzato. 

The many joys afforded by this veritable cornucopia of Handelian delights include a riveting account of Messiah’s “But who may abide the day of his coming?” and Joad’s superb aria from Saul, Angelico splendor in which Vistoli’s ebullient embellishments set the seal on a fine program.

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Title: Handel’s Italians
Works: Music from Handel
Performers: Carlo Vistoli ct, Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle Haïm
Label: Harmonia Mundi HMM902795