Alcina

'Alcina' is not one of Handel's best story-wise, with the story having a tendency to be static and at times daft. However, some of Handel's most beautiful music is in 'Alcina', the best and most well known arias coming from Alcina herself ("Tornami A Vagghiegarr" and "Ah Mio Cor"), and the atmosphere is enchanting.

The DVD competition has been relatively scant. With the best being the Katie Mitchell production, which was not quite perfect but managed to make a static opera entertaining and was musically excellent in all areas, and the weakest being Adrian Noble's production, which was dull with an underwhelming Ruggiero despite being extremely good musically everywhere else.

Pierre Audi's production of 'Alcina' is second weakest, due to that it was difficult to find fault with the musical values with perhaps three or four minor blemishes where Noble's was not as even. It however has a different problem to Noble's, whether Noble's was dull Audi's was distractingly perplexing.

Visually, apart from instances of atmospheric lighting and more attractive costumes than most "concept" productions, the production really isn't appealing. It's too sparsely furnished, too often too dark, stark and cold and is too one-note with no scenic changes (which is crucial to the narrative in 'Alcina').

More of a problem is the staging, with far too many touches that not only contradicts the libretto/narrative but also badly confuses things to sometimes incomprehensibility. Some of it proves to be an obstacle for the singers and the slow stylised movements added nothing. This is especially true when other characters do wandering walk-ons, which really hurts the intimate arias and is extremely distracting, 'Mi Lusinga Il Dolce Affetto" and "Ombre Pallide".

These may not sound like enough to bring down my rating as much as shown, but as both aspects are big components, are significant to a production's success, and big issues if done wrong, they were enough to bring things down significantly.

However, musically this 'Alcina' is near-perfect. The only blemishes are Angélique Noldus struggling with "Vorrei Vedicami", perhaps more of a noble touch to the conducting, tiny ensemble issues and a continuo that clangs too much. All the cast have perfect diction and despite the staging a vast majority of them are excellent actors who make the most of what they're given. The only thing that could have been done a little better in this regard was that Maite Beaumont could have brought a little more to her interpretation, her Ruggiero is at times a little too restrained and cool.

Sandrine Piau in particular, on the other hand, is breath-taking. She has rarely sounded lovelier, and this is coming from somebody who rarely hears her less than great, and sings with impeccable musicality, style and phrasing. Dramatically, it is a stately and powerfully complex interpretation. Sabina Puértolas is suitably vulnerable as Morgana, while Beaumont is faultless vocally and stylistically and convinces as a man as well as giving a little femininity.

Chloé Briot's Oberto is very passionately engaged with, Noldus sounds wonderful everywhere else in the production (disappointing only in one aria, although it's one of the show-stoppers of Bradamante's music) and is a heroic Bradamante, Giovanni Furlanetto is a menacing Melisso and Daniel Behle is an energetic Oronte.

Orchestra are lively and nuanced, and apart from a lack of nobility perhaps Christophe Rousset's conducting is sympathetic and carefully pointed but also buoyant and energetically passionate quality, giving the music depth and space but also a rhythmic drive.

In conclusion, didn't care for the visuals or staging but loved the musical values. 6/10 Bethany Cox

It isn't every day that an Opera video comes my way that has fine singing, costumes appropriate to the period, excellent support from the orchestra, and real Handelian feeling (no Regietheater trash). Sandrine Piau as the tormented sorceress Alcina is really great: it's one of the best baroque opera performances I've seen. Maite Beaumont's Ruggiero gives her fine support.

The dark hue of the production is probably more effective on a big screen where colour values have a greater play. I know I enjoyed it very much.