Barbara Hendricks - Mozart: Airs De Concert & d'Operas (1984)

Two arias include obbtigato instruments. The violin version of the better known setting of the same text with piano obbligato k505. It is the soprano version of the long aria sung by an mezzo or tenor Idamante in Idomeneo. While not quite as phenomenally beautiful as k505, it is both lively and demanding, requiring virtuoso contributions from conductor, orchestra, violinist and soprano. For k505, best that I have heard is Ameling/Dalton Baldwin/Edo de Waart (see my review). Hendricks/Tate/Jose Luis Garcia and the ECO are equally good in the violin setting. Tate again is a consummate Mozartean, receiving better support from this team than he did from Mitsuko Uchida in most of the concerti. And Hendricks sings with warmth and beauty throughout this program. Both arias k369 and k272 are also attractive. k272 includes a long oboe obbligato (Neil Black?). The Lucio Silla aria, which I had not known, sounds like a love song with a throbbing accompaniament similar to that in the second movement of the 21st piano concerto. In Idomeneo, I would rather hear Ilia's "Il Padre perdei" than her "Padre,germani, addio,", but Hendricks/Tate master it also. Likewise the two most famous arias here, "Dove sono" from Figaro and a wrenching "Ach, ich fuhls" from Die Zauberflo.