Kathryn Lewek, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro & Francesco Corti - Handel: Apollo e Dafne, HWV 122 & Armida abbandonata, HWV 105 (2022) [Hi-Res]

Il pomo d’oro and Francesco Corti present Handel’s Apollo e Dafne and Armida abbandonata, together with two outstanding vocalists: soprano Kathryn Lewek (Armida & Dafne) and baritone John Chest (Apollo). Handel composed these two cantatas shortly after his Italian sojourn (1706-1709), and they demonstrate his acquaintance with and aptitude for Italian operatic music. Compared to opera, supporting roles are left out of these relatively compact cantatas, increasing the focus on the main characters, and heightening the expressive depth of their music. Il pomo d’oro performs these pieces with historically-informed ears, lively and colourful. The cantatas alternate with several delightful orchestral pieces by Handel, including several movements from his Almira Suite. Francesco Corti belongs to the most established harpsichordists of his generation, and releases his third PENTATONE release, leading the ensemble from behind the harpsichord. He works together with the multi-award-winning ensemble il pomo d’oro, who also recorded two Bach harpsichord concertos albums with Corti (2020 and 2021), as well as vocal recital albums with PENTATONE: Carnevale 1729 with Ann Hallenberg (2017), as well as Prologue with Francesca Aspromonte (2018). Kathryn Lewek and John Chest both enjoy a flourishing stage career, and make their PENTATONE debut.