1
Gelido in ogni vena (Cosroe) (Act 3 Scene 4, Aria from Siroe, Re di Persia, HWV24)[5’02]
2
Turn not, O Queen, thy face away (Haman) (Act 3 Scene 2 No 2, Arioso from Esther, HWV50a)[2’49]
3
When storms the proud (Abner) (Act 1 Scene 1, Air from Athalia, HWV52)[3’11]
4
Oh, memory! (Gobrias) (Act 1 Scene 6 No 9a, Accompagnato from Belshazzar, HWV61)[0’45]
5
Opprest with never-ceasing grief (Gobrias) (Act 1 Scene 6 No 9b, Air from Belshazzar, HWV61)[4’01]
6
È ver che all’amo intorno (Cesare) (Act 3 Scene 4, Aria from Catone, HWVA7)[7’55]Nicola Porpora (1686-1768)
Concerto grosso in F major HWV315 Op 3/4a[10’32]
7
Andante – Allegro – Lentamente[3’56]
8
Andante[1’56]
9
Allegro[1’32]
10
Minuetto alternativo[3’08]
11
Piangi pur (Araspe) (Act 2 Scene 6, Aria from Tolomeo, Re di Egitto, HWV25)[2’59]
12
Ah, canst thou but prove me! (Abner) (Act 2 Scene 1, Air from Athalia, HWV52)[3’40]
Nell’africane selve HWV136a
13
No 1, Recitativo: Nell’africane selve[1’34]
14
No 2, Aria: Langue, trema, e prigioniero[6’31]
15
No 3, Recitativo: Nice, là fra confine[1’19]
16
No 4, Aria: Chiedo amore[4’29]
17
The walls are levell’d (Caleb) (Part 2 No 4, Recitative from Joshua, HWV64)[0’30]
18
See, the raging flames arise (Caleb) (Part 2 No 5, Air from Joshua, HWV64)[3’18]
19
How art thou fall’n from thy height! (Haman) (Act 3 Scene 2 No 5, Air from Esther, HWV50a)[6’37]
20
Tu di pietà mi spogli (Cosroe) (Act 2 Scene 7, Aria from Siroe, Re di Persia, HWV24)[4’27]
21
Vieni, o cara (Argante) (Act 1 Scene 4, Aria from Rinaldo, HWV7a)[4’15]
22
Shall I in Mamre’s fertile plain (Caleb) (Part 3 No 4, Air from Joshua, HWV64)[3’07]
Christopher Purves is renowned for both the powerful sense of dramatic conviction he brings to everything he undertakes, and for a vocal technique which must be heard to be believed. From Handel’s early cantata to selections from Italian opera and English oratorio, this is a recital from a very special singer indeed.