This recording would have been a shoo-in as a “disc of the year” candidate were it not for one thing: the extremely aggressive, often dominant continuo, especially the excessive, exuberant, even rude playing of bassoonist Jérémie Papasergio in several cantatas, including the opening and closing works. It’s partly the fault of the engineering, which places the continuo players–bassoon, cello, theorbo/lute, and harpsichord–way too prominently in the mix, but often these instruments just sound as if their players believe their parts should be the stars of the show. And that’s unfortunate, because countertenor Philippe Jaroussky is a marvel–a stunning virtuoso performer whose vocalism here confirms my assessment from an earlier review of songs by Ferrari (type Q6759 in Search Reviews) where I described Jaroussky’s extraordinary “purity of tone and subtlety of expression as well as the near-inhuman technical feats he brandishes as naturally as breathing”.
The disc’s title doesn’t lie: these cantatas require a singer of rare ability who also possesses the artistic instincts sufficient to elevate the conspicuously theatrical to something more profoundly awe-inspiring–perhaps on a musical level, the difference between a cheap fireworks display and the aurora borealis. And truly, where he’s given the chance, Jaroussky shines as bright–or brighter–than any of today’s world-class countertenors, with a pure, centered, ringing tone and not the slightest hint of a harsh edge. In other words, he’s not only a dazzling, dynamic, and commanding performer–he’s also easy to listen to, and if my artistic merit rating were only for Jaroussky, it would be an unqualified 10. If you need to be convinced, just listen to the disc’s final track, the aria “Cor ingrato dispietato”, a tour de force that Jaroussky delivers with astonishing, effortless ease–but more than likely will leave his listeners gasping for breath! In spite of the abovementioned problems (the offending bassoon is silent for much of the program), this really is worth hearing for the pure pleasure of Jaroussky’s singing.
