“Faramondo” by Handel

“Faramondo” by Diego Fasolis

Handel was a musical genius. Mozart was right. He was such skilful and masterful composer, he knew exactly when to drop a thunder bolt. And you never see it coming until you actually get hit by one. He dropped so many thunder bolts, my heart stopped so many times.

Even though his music has the great depth similar to the depth in Verdi’s music, his music never weighs you down like Verdi’s does. At the tip of his thunder bolt must have application of happy poison like an arrow of cupid. Because as soon as you get hit by one, you instantly get so euphoric.

So that’s the reason why I’ve been so happy like walking on the clouds since the first time I listen to Handel’s opera, “Faramondo” some weeks ago. As soon as I listened to it, instantly I was hooked.

This is the most gorgeous opera I’ve ever listened to. The whole album is pure beauty. And what an amazing depth it has! For three hours, while I was listening to this album with English translation in my hands, most of the time, I was so moved, I couldn’t move (knowing the meaning of songs helps to understand the depth of his music greatly even though without it, it’s still amazingly beautiful).

Countertenor, Max Emanuel Cencic sang the title hero role in “Faramondo”.  He once played the wife in psychologically and emotionally intense opera “Il Sant’ Alessio” where he sang so well and because the pain of the character was just too realistic and too close to bone, there were actual moments, I completely forgot my urge to fix his make-up (more so, because he’s a handsome guy with beautiful eyes). It’s amazing, what music can do.

His voice is very distinguishable and it has mature calm serenity, which is very similar to Andreas Scholl’s but much higher, lighter and prettier in texture with powerful force. He really has illumines, gorgeous amazing voice. This opera really showcased his voice talent fully.

His voice is well suited for the main hero who is intelligent, honest and honorable. In this opera, he sang some of the most amazing beautiful arias I’ve ever heard. Along with him, all the other singers also sang so wonderfully and so beautifully such as Philippe Jaroussky, Sophie Karthauser, Marina De Liso, In-Sung Sim and Xavier Sabata. The below is the list of my favorite arias and duet in this opera (when I actually listed all my favorites at first, there were 16 of them which are the almost all of the arias and the duets in this opera).  

Poi che pria di morire (Max Emanuel Cencic)

Se a' piedi tuoi morrò (Philippe Jaroussky)

Un'aura placida (Sophie Karthauser)

Caro, cara, tu m'accendi (Sophie Karthauser & Philippe Jaroussky)

Se Ben Mi Lusinga (Max Emanuel Cencic)

Sì Tornerò A Morir (Max Emanuel Cencic)

Virtù, che rende (Max Emanuel Cencic)

The conductor is Diego Fasolis and the ensemble is I Barocchisti. They did amazing job creating most beautiful orchestra music. Their sound is so rich and full. I really love to listen to their music more. At the end of the concert video, I liked how the conductor proudly raised the score of “Faramondo” up towards the thundering clapping audience.