Yvonne Kenny has been one of the most impressive of Handel sopranos for so many years now that it has even been possible to take her for granted. The level of tonal beauty, operatic intensity, mastery of divisions, intelligent appreciation and application of ornaments, blending of voices in duets, superior impersonation and acting skills that Kenny has evinced, however, are rare commodities. She first sang Alcina, Sutherland’s famous role, moving on to include Semele and Xerxes, Julius Caesar and Rinaldo amongst others that will be remembered by many. Her performances with ENO are imperishable memories for me.

The great Australian countertenor, Graham Pushee with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra directed by Paul Dyer, stuns us all in this program of favorite arias by Handel.

From the earliest planning stages for this recording, Andreas Scholl had only one orchestra in mind: the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. It's no surprise that Decca was skittish about the idea–there are, after all, many good baroque-instrument bands much closer to London–yet the star countertenor insisted that his rapport with this group was special and that it would be well worth the trouble to make the record in Sydney. Well, from the very first notes, it's clear that Scholl was right: conductor Paul Dyer and the ABO launch into the opening of Nisi Dominus with an energetic gusto that you'd sooner expect from Rinaldo Alessandrini's Concerto Italiano than from an Anglo-Saxon band. Scholl responds in kind: his vocalism is as smooth, clear, and assured as ever, but he goes beyond that–his innumerable subtle inflections of tone and timing are more reminiscent of a good orator than an opera singer.