Composers:Porpora, Hasse, Broschi, Giacomelli, Caldara
Compositions: Arias
Performers: Cecilia Bartoli ms, Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini
Catalogue Number: Decca 4850214

Having treated fans to album after album of esoteric opera arias over the last decade of her recording career, I was surprised to discover that Cecilia Bartoli’s latest was dedicated to Farinelli. Born Carlo Broschi, the 18th century’s star castrato is now extremely well-trodden ground for baroque specialists, with Valer Sabadus, Ann Hallenberg and Bejun Mehta just some of the singers who have lain recent claim to this repertoire on disc. But having listened to Bartoli’s effort, my misgivings about whether we...