All Music Guide

Handel wrote "Floridante" in 1722 for a London audience infatuated with Italian opera. The plot, like that of so many Baroque operas, was taken from ancient history and concerns romantic liaisons thrown into turmoil by political rivalries, in this case between Persia and Tyre. Handel wrote over 50 Italian operas, and it's remarkable that he was consistently able to summon such a high level of inventiveness and inspiration when faced repeatedly with librettos that must have come to look depressingly alike in the conventions of their labyrinthine plots. Handel, however, had strong enough musical and dramatic convictions that he refused to make alterations to the score of "Floridante" that would have changed the opera's character, after London's Royal Academy of Music informed him that changes in the performing personnel would require him to rewrite the vocal parts. Handel eventually made some adjustments, but stood firm about others -- a bold position, considering the relatively low status of composers in the world of opera at the time. After the premiere with a less-than-ideal cast, Handel restored the score to his original intentions and it's that version that's heard on this recording.

Alan Curtis conducts Il Complesso Barocco in a lively and impassioned performance. The Italian opera of the period was largely a vehicle to showcase singers, and the cast Curtis has assembled sings gloriously, with lustrous and supple voices and a strong sense of drama. The ornamentation in the da capo arias is tasteful but sometimes awe-inspiringly florid. Archiv's characteristically immaculate sound creates an ideal balance between the singers and orchestra and allows the voices to sparkle. This compelling performance of "Floridante" should be valuable for anyone interested in pursuing out-of-the-mainstream Handel operas. Stephen Eddins

Gramophone

Curtis certainly reveals that Floridante is a compelling and richly rewarding opera, and Handelians should not hesitate to add this to their collections. David Vickers

BBC Music Magazine

Curtis directs with well-paced assurance.... As always with these pieces, veritable voyages of discovery, the score is generously filled with fine music. Nicholas Anderson

Philadelphia Inquirer

1/2 These new recordings have particular authority, with performers who all sound like they're speaking Handel-ese as a first language. The pieces take on an almost pop-like immediacy. David Patrick Stearns

San Francisco Chronicle

Curtis...is a master of period style, and the pacing and theatrical flair of the performance are first-rate.... DiDonato gives everyone else a lesson in tonal purity, emotional directness and bravura technique. Joshua Kosman

The Guardian

[The performance] crackles with dramatic energy from the opening bars of the overture onwards. Andrew Clements

Daily Telegraph

With Floridante otherwise unavailable, this recording, directed by Alan Curtis with understanding and dramatic flair, is welcome.... Joyce DiDonato is outstanding as Elmira, flame-toned in her rejection of the tyrant Oronte's grotesque advances, sensuous in her love for Floridante. Richard Wigmore