“She had a mezzo-soprano voice, that was less clear than penetrating. Her execution was articulate and brilliant. She had a fluent tongue for pronouncing words rapidly and distinctly, and a flexible throat for divisions, with so beautiful a shake that

“Ah! Scipione…” (Berenice’s aria) Sandrine Piau, soprano Christophe Rousset, conductor Les Talens Lyriques, baroque orchestra From Handel: Scipione (2010) Released by Aparté Handel: “Ah! Scipione…” (Berenice’s aria), from Scipione Sandrine Piau (Berenice) in Act III, Scene II: “The torment is

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), the great German-English composer, was almost completely blind by 1751. As a result, he was unable to finish his final piece of music “Jephtha”. Handel was told by Samuel Sharp, an eye specialist at Guy’s hospital,

Agrippina: Aria Bejun Mehta, countertenor René Jacobs, conductor Freiburger Barockorchester, Early music ensemble From Handel: Ombra Cara (2010) Released by Harmonia Mundi Agrippina: Aria Another outstanding recording by René Jacobs with the American countertenor Bejun Mehta. Voi, che udite il