Handel L’Allegro, il penseroso ed il moderato Rachel Redmond (soprano), Leo Jemison (boy soprano), James Way (tenor), Sreten Manojlović (bass-baritone); Trinity Boys Choir; Les Arts Florissants/William Christie Harmonia Mundi HAF 8905359.60 102:00 mins (2 discs)
Having performed Handel’s L’Allegro since the mid-2000s, William Christie has finally recorded it, giving us a nimble and intimate rendition that pits jauntiness against pastoral serenity. L’Allegro’s challenges are more rhetorical than musical: based on poems by Milton, the work invokes moods – lightness, pensiveness, serenity – rather than telling a story. To carry an audience, its performers must execute Handel’s gorgeous score with dazzling style. Christie and his artists do so, providing Paul McCreesh’s benchmark 2015 recording with a formidable rival.
A delicate crispness buoys every phrase of Christie’s interpretation. This effect is most strikingly brought off by soprano Rachel Redmond, whose clarity of diction and cool vocal beauty make every verse line sparkle. Her elegance is also striking, for instance in her effortless ascents and swirls in the aria ‘Sweet Bird’. Complementing Redmond is boy treble Leo Jemison, who infuses Milton’s dense wording with youthful zest. Jemison sang on the 2022 tour during which this album was recorded, but his unaffected boldness is stronger in this not-live recording than it was in concert. Tenor James Way’s commanding account at times over-emphasises words or pitches, delivering virtuosity but not always beauty, while bass-baritone Sreten Manojlović is thrillingly powerful but unsubtle. The chorus and band are splendid: rhythms dance, ensemble is seamless and obbligato players outdo themselves in blending with the sung vocal line. Undergirding this euphony are Christie’s soft phrasing, dynamic pacing and subtle build-ups, all audibly the result of his long engagement with and deep knowledge of this work.
Berta Joncus
