Handel: Italian Cantatas

One of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, George Frideric Handel was born in Germany but spent most of his career living in London. He was something of a celebrity in his day -- a status he enjoyed thanks to his prolific cultivation of opera. Also ranking among Handel's large vocal output are his cantatas, works that form the focus of this release. The disc brings together two different versions of Handel's two lesser-known cantatas, and includes the first ever recording of the two versions of Mira Lilla gentile. Largely neglected until now, these latter works tell the story of a young man's unrequited love for Lilla, and while the earlier version contains a soprano solo alternating with a violin, the later version sees this instrument replaced by a cello. The second pair of cantatas comprises the anonymous La caduta di Icaro and Handel's Tra le fiamme HWV170 -- both of which use the same libretto by Cardinal Benedetto Pamphili. Here the CD switches from heartbreak to counse