Handel: Sosarme album review – Marco Angioloni makes the case for this little-known work

Doubling as vocalist and conductor, Angiolini is joined by fine singers in this rarely recorded late work. Giacomo Nanni’s sonorous ‘Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori’ is a particular highlight

Premiered in 1732, Sosarme is a bit of a sleeper among Handel’s mature operas, with only Anthony Lewis’s 1954 recording in the current catalogue. That’s a shame, as it possesses emotional depth as well as a swag of memorable arias. Contemporary audiences gave it a warm welcome, though the composer’s last-minute attempt to avoid a diplomatic faux pas by switching settings from medieval Portugal to mythical Lydia hasn’t helped its reputation.

This lightly sprung performance from Opéra Royal de Versailles under conductor Marco Angioloni goes some way to rehabilitating the work, even if the engineered sound and edgy string tone are a little in-your-face. Rémy Brès-Feuillet is honey-toned in the title role, originally a vehicle for the great contralto castrato Senesino, with Sarah Charles suitably soubrettish as his beloved Elmira.

Doubling as vocalist, Angioloni devours a great deal of scenery as the rancorous king of Lydia alongside fine performances from Nicolò Balducci as his rebellious son and Éléonore Pancrazi as his hapless wife. Crowning the set as the duplicitous counsellor Altomaro is young Italian bass Giacomo Nanni. His sonorous account of “Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori”, a classic case of Handel repurposing an earlier hit, reveals a voice of impressive suppleness and power.