Orpheus

Songs, arias and madrigals by Johnson, Draghi, Greene, Byrd, Rasi, Monteverdi, Rossi et al Julian Prégardien (tenor);

Teatro del Mondo/andreas Küppers CPO 555 168-2 72:50 mins

Recounting the myth of Orpheus, this thoughtfully planned programme interlards extracts from famous early Italian operas by Peri and Monteverdi with less familiar works, taking the listener on a real journey of discovery. From the land of light, we plunge into the abyss with Domenico Belli’s impassioned monody Numi d’abisso, while Antonio Draghi’s hymnlike Al suon di questa lira soothes the spirit. There are melancholy English ayres by Thomas Campion, and arias – by turns declamatory and melodious – from a masque by Robert Johnson and a cantata by Maurice Green. Among the German responses, Johann Erasmus Kindermann’s Orphic songs almost prefigure the Romantic lied in their compressed expressivity.

Julian Prégardien has all the qualities of a fine lyric tenor, his voice sheer, clean, open. Informed by his experience in 18th-century opera and German Lieder, his approach is mellifluous and expressive – best suited to the later settings (Green, Kindermann, Purcell) which benefit from a more lyrical approach; the earlier, more intimate Italian monodies are a shade over-projected.

Interlacing the vocal numbers are contemporary instrumental works, colourfully scored and realised with terrific improvisatory flair by Teatro del Mondo. A nice touch is the addition of an orpharion – an unusual cittern-like instrument, and the spiritual descendent of Orpheus’s lyre. Kate Bolton-porciatti PERFORMANCE ★★★★ RECORDING ★★★★