Sandrine Piau - Handel: Enchantresses - Planet Hugill

Under the title Enchantresses, soprano Sandrine Piau's latest recital on Alpha Classics with Les Paladins, director Jérôme Correas, takes in arias from Handel's operas Lotario, Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, Alcina, and Amadigi di Gaula plus the cantata Lucrezia, whilst the ensemble performs movements from concerto grossos.

Sandrine Piau became known originally for her portrayals of Handel's lighter voiced heroines, but her voice has developed in intensity and this new disc covers some far stronger characters, as she says in her introduction "Where once I portrayed light-hearted, pirouetting heroines, this new album offers a portrait of powerful, often wounded women". Some of the characters are literally enchantresses, Handel's sorceresses such as Alcina and Melissa, but with other heroines the enchantment is more metaphorical such as Cleopatra.

Throughout Jérôme Correas and Les Paladins contribute vividly stylish performances which complement Piau's performances finely. In the purely orchestral moments they are perhaps a bit too romantic for my taste, but in the context of this whole recital the results make a satisfying whole. Whether singing fast or slow there is a vividness, intensity and sense of character to Piau's singing on this disc. As Handel a performance you may not always like what she does, but there is a feeling of dramatic integrity, everything is there for a reason and the results are compelling.