Ah! Mio Cor: Handel Arias

1	Alcina, opera, HWV 34: Ah
2	Hercules, oratorio, HWV 6
3	Agrippina, opera, HWV 6:
4	Giulio Cesare in Egitto,
5	Joshua, oratorio, HWV 64:
6	Ariodante, opera, HWV 33:
7	Theodora, oratorio, HWV 6
8	Amadigi di Gaula, opera,
9	Orlando, opera, HWV 31: A
10	Ariodante, opera, HWV 33:
11	Rinaldo, opera, HWV 7: La
Ah! Mio Cor: Handel Arias
1.	Alcina, opera, HWV 34: Ah! mio cor! Schernito sei! 10:48
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
2.	Hercules, oratorio, HWV 60: Where shall I fly? 6:30
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
3.	Agrippina, opera, HWV 6: Pensieri, voi mi tormentate 7:30
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená, Stefanie Haegele and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
4.	Giulio Cesare in Egitto, opera, HWV 17: Cara speme, questo core tu comincia 6:01
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená, Venice Baroque Orchestra and Francesco Galligioni
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
5.	Joshua, oratorio, HWV 64: Oh! had I Jubal's lyre 2:38
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
6.	Ariodante, opera, HWV 33: Scherza infida in grembo al drudo 11:39
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
7.	Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: O thou bright Sun! - With darkness deep 6:00
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
8.	Amadigi di Gaula, opera, HWV 11: Desterň dall'empia Dite 5:49
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená, Stefanie Haegele, Venice Baroque Orchestra and Patrick Henrichs
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
9.	Orlando, opera, HWV 31: Ah! stigie larve! / Giŕ latra Cerbero 7:45
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
10.	Ariodante, opera, HWV 33: Dopo notte, atra e funesta 6:52
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon
11.	Rinaldo, opera, HWV 7: Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte 4:58
	Composed by George Frideric Handel
	Performed by Magdalena Kozená and Venice Baroque Orchestra
	Conducted by Andrea Marcon

All Music Guide

Before the release of this disc called Ah! Mio cor!, charismatic mezzo soprano Magdalena Kozená had already made her mark as a Handel singer with her recordings of the composer's Italian cantatas and opera "Julius Caesar," but this triumphant 2007 collection of arias affirms her mastery of the German-English composer's music. Featuring selections from the composer's operas and oratorios, this disc is more of a smorgasbord than a balanced meal with one highly expressive and supremely virtuosic aria following another and the only cohesion supplied by the performer. Clear, smooth, and warm, Kozená's voice is light in tone but with plenty of power behind it and more than enough control to guide it. In these 11 arias, Kozená channels her voice into interpretations that fairly explode with passion, despair, bliss, and fury. Given alert and dramatic accompaniments by Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Kozená delivers striking Handel performances that will attract her fans as well as interest mezzo fans who have not yet heard her. Archiv's digital sound is crisp and cool, with the focus entirely on the singer. James Leonard

Gramophone

The stirring and passionate execution of Handel's music is anything but dull routine.... Everybody involved sounds as if they are engaged with the music. In particular, the Venice Baroque Orchestra sound admirably absorbed in the dramatic world of each aria.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Kozena unleashes flurries of coloratura in the fervent passages, while scaling back her mahogany voice to convey more introspective sentiments. [Grade: A] Donald Rosenberg

Daily Telegraph

A Handel aria recital from the Czech mezzo-cum-soprano...was always a recording waiting to happen.... A feast of Handel singing, with the Venetian players matching Kozená all the way in spirit and colouristic flair.

The Times (U.K.)

Handel is good for Magdalena Kozená. She can deploy her formidable range across alto, mezzo and soprano registers. She can spin a legato line across a simple lament or zing through a barrage of quickfire coloratura. And there’s never any need to push -- not when Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra are the intimate backing group.