Tamerlano

Recorded live at the historic Goethe Theater in Bad Lauchstadt, Germany as part of the 50th Handel-Festspiele in 2001, this impeccably produced rendering of an operatic masterpiece from Handel's Royal Academy oeuvre is based on the 15th century story of the Tatar Emperor Tamerlano's rejection of his betrothed princess in favor of the captive daughter of an enemy sultan. A uniformly able cast under Jonathan Miller's tasteful direction are decked out in rich and elegant costuming on a minimal but stylish stage, while Trevor Pinnock's harpsichord accompaniment and brisk conducting of the English Concert supplies excellent support. Although some of the principals do not appear to be baroque specialists (some huffy ornamentation), all have rich, flexible voices and a compelling presence, although the casting of slender mezzo Monica Bacelli as Tamerlano is a bit jarring: with so many first-rate counter tenors, it's puzzling to see a woman cast in a castrato role. But these are mere quibbles: this is an exquisite production, overall, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in the original Italian (with English, French, Spanish and Japanese subtitle options), and buttressed by a solid array of DVD extras, including a lucid synopsis provided onscreen during the overture, the option to add the score as a subtitle, a "making of" documentary, interviews, an interactive chronology of the festival, and archival film footage from previous Handel-Festspiele programs. Essential for academic collections, this is also highly recommended for general collections. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)