Sibilar gli angui d’Aletto Aria from Rinaldo HWV7a
I rage, I melt, I burn! Accompagnato
O ruddier than the cherry Air from Acis and Galatea HWV49a
Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori Aria from Aci, Galatea e Polifemo HWV72
If I give thee honour due Recitative
Mirth, admit me of thy crew Air from L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato HWV55
Qual’insolita luce Accompagnato
Caddi, e ver Aria from La Resurrezione HWV47
Tears, such as tender fathers shed Air from Deborah HWV51
To pow’r immortal my first thanks are due Air from Belshazzar HWV61
Impari ognun da Orlando Accompagnato from Orlando HWV31
Sorge infausta una procella Aria
Racks, gibbets, sword and fire Air from Theodora HWV68
Volate piu dei venti Aria from Muzio Scevola HWV13
Vieni, o cara Aria from Agrippina HWV6
Nel mondo e nell’abisso Aria from Riccardo Primo, Re d’Inghilterra HWV23
Mie piante correte Aria
Cara pianta Aria from Apollo e Dafne HWV122
Revenge, Timotheus cries Air from Alexander’s Feast HWV75
Leave me, loathsome light Air from Semele HWV58

‘With his acting chops and weighty bass-baritone, Purves in full cry is a splendid and fearful spectacle’ (The Times)

The magnificent Christopher Purves performs a recital of Handel’s bass arias. This unique collection demonstrates the range and brilliance of Handel’s writing for this voice, featuring a selection from Italian and English operas, English classical drama, Biblical oratorios, literary odes and a masque. Handel’s endlessly imaginative gift for characterization is fully explored here, with Purves commanding an extraordinary emotional and technical range from the buffo blustering of Polyphemus in Acis and Gatalea to the loving musings of Abinoam in ‘Tears, such as tender fathers shed’ from the oratorio Deborah.

Gramophone Award-winning baroque band Arcangelo with their director Jonathan Cohen provide the sparkling accompaniments.