Following the Jacobite Rising in England, Handel produced a series of oratorios based on military themes: Occasional Oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus, Alexander Balus, Joshua, and Solomon. It is one of Handel’s later works, from the height of his late creative period. Joshua is based on the Biblical stories of Joshua. The oratorio premiered on 9 March 1748 at the Covent Garden Theatre, London. It was composed in a month, between 19 July 1747 and 19 August 1747 and is Handel’s fourth oratorio based on a libretto by Thomas Morell (18 March 1703 – 19 February 1784), the English librettist, classical scholar, and printer. Joshua (HWV 64) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel.32:07 – Handel: Dopo notte, atra e funesta – Ariodante (3) Notes.25:57 – Vivaldi: Concerto for strings & continuo in C major, RV 114 (5).19:30 – Handel: Cara speme – Giulio Cesare (4).08:21 – Handel: Scherza infida in grembo al drudo – Ariodante (3).03:54 – Vivaldi: Concerto for strings & continuo in D minor, RV 127 (2).00:52 – Handel: Oh! Had I Jubal’s Lyre – Joshua (1).Quite why Vivaldi put together such an anthology is unclear but, in his excellent note, Frédéric Delaméa suggests that it was a ‘travel kit’ intended to provide him with material during his trips outside Venice.Arias and concertos from Handel and Vivaldi (Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano) Programme The remaining arias come mostly from lost operas, in one instance unidentified and in another perhaps only sketched. Only a handful at most will be familiar even to the most ardent Vivaldi enthusiasts: these belong to Tito Manlio (1719) and La verità in cimento (1720), both of which operas have been recorded in more or less complete versions.

Sixteen of them, all belonging to the years between 17 when Vivaldi was engaged outside Venice – mainly in Mantua – are featured in this attractive recital. This is no haphazard ‘highlights’ disc but a selection of arias apparently made by Vivaldi himself from an anthology containing 47 in all. PERFORMER: Sandrine Piau (soprano), Ann Hallenberg, Guillemette Laurens (mezzo-soprano), Paul Agnew (tenor) Modo Antiquo/Federico Maria Sardelli

Vivaldi opera arias