Description
Over a period of some twenty years, from the late 1720s, Handel composed a series of virtuoso arias using only thewords ‘Allelujah’ and ‘Amen’ as his texts. They were probably for use in private worship, and take their place in the tradition of ‘Divine Song’ established by Purcell and other composers. Here they receive their first recordings, set in a context of contemporary sacred song and instrumental music, with theaccompaniment provided by the beguiling sound of two theorbos and chamber organ. They are heard here in the extraordinarily dramatic timbres of a male-soprano voice – perhaps as close as modern listeners can come to the vocal acrobatics of the castrati who so amazed their own audiences.