Although not uniformly successful, this new disc of Handel arias by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená has much to recommend it, both in terms of repertoire and of performance.
It is one of a number of Handel CDs currently hitting the market, yet compared to the one recently released by soprano Danielle de Niese it stands out for its greater range of expression and technical finesse.
Perhaps it's worth dealing with the bad news first, since it's not a major problem. Kozená made a big mistake in tackling three arias in English, because her grasp of the language is evidently limited and her diction, which is excellent in the eight Italian arias, is seriously clouded. Therefore Dejanira's 'Where shall I fly?' from Hercules, Achsah's 'Oh! had I Jubal's lyre' from Joshua and the title character's 'With darkness deep' from Theodora are difficult to engage with. Kozená makes an odd stylistic decision in Dejanira's recitative: in order to illustrate the character's madness she makes unpleasant sounds and deliberately sings out of tune to give the impression of being deluded. It's a good idea that has its roots in performance practice of the day, but for me it's severely overdone. The aria itself is sung with urgency but as we lose most of the words, it's a disappointing performance. I admire the lightness the singer brings to 'Oh! had I Jubal's lyre', which is in quite a high tessitura for a mezzo but is sung with ease by Kozená; the coloratura passages, performed at a fast tempo, are dazzlingly secure. Contrasting this lightness, the excellent Venice Baroque Orchestra and conductor Andrea Marcon bring heavy darkness to Theodora's aria, and Kozena's singing, using vibrato very tastefully and sparingly to evoke the correct emotions. Sadly, though, the fact that she's ill at ease with the language is all too apparent.
Most of the other tracks are simply delightful. Listen to the aria from Amadigi di Gaula, for instance: the opening antiphonal trumpet calls seem to inspire Kozena to produce a bright, ringing sound that is ideal for the vengeful character of Melissa. Alcina's aria of heartbreak, which opens the recital, is wonderfully understated. The strings plod gently during the introduction to call to mind the character's sadness and continue under Kozená's beautifully shaped phrasing of the aria. However, I cannot listen to the performance of Orlando's mad scene without irritation: Kozena uses the same exaggerated technique as in Dejanira's aria, and to me it's more distractingly pantomimic than evocative.
'Pensieri, voi mi tormentate' from Agrippina shows the singer at her most exceptional. Here is an aria about a tortured woman left alone with her thoughts and calling on the gods for help. Kozená works hard with her orchestra and conductor to stir up images of her isolation and inner torment: the textural thinness of the a cappella passages is emphasised, while the absence of vibrato in the strings and the pensiveness of the oboist's tone add to the mood. Sesto in Giulio Cesare is one of the singer's specialities and her performance of 'Cara speme' on this CD is almost a masterclass on how to phrase a Handel aria without exaggerating the drama through too much vibrato. The joy of Kozená's particular voice is also apparent here in the way in which she is able to connect phrases through the registers without breaks or difficulty.
The three remaining arias are all superb: Ariodante's 'Scherza infida' and 'Dopo notte', and Almirena's 'Lascia ch'io pianga' from Rinaldo. But the first of these in particular stands out because Kozená convinces technically, dramatically and emotionally. She engages the listener thoroughly for the entire duration of the piece which, at twelve minutes, is a considerable challenge. Such extraordinary legato singing is very rare and even the very slight use of the deliberately repulsive, out-of-tune technique on the word 'morte' - death - is convincing on this track.
So in spite of my reservations with the English-language arias and the approach to the mad scenes, this new CD comes highly recommended. Kozená comes to Covent Garden in Rossini's La Cenerentola from 17 December 2007: don't miss it.
Magdalena Kozená's new album, '"Ah! mio cor" - Handel Arias', is out now. For more information, visit http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/