Catalan countertenor Xavier Sabata’s fascinating new recital presents the Alexander of history and myth as seen through the eyes (and heard through the ears!) of Baroque librettists and composers over a 75-year period. But the focus is, as the title suggests, on Alexander the lover. It is this, Sabata says, which lends cohesion to a “mosaic of scenes from his life” and “collage of… different musical representations”, ultimately forming a “sonic photograph of anabsolutely fascinating and contradictory character”.

Depending on the librettist, composer and performer for whom a particular aria was written, the results can be as “fascinating and contradictory” as Alexander’s own character. For example, the two ariettes from...