Andreas Scholl - Arcadia
Scholl; Accademia Bizantina/Dantone
Decca 470 2962
Release date February 2004

David Daniels - A Quiet Thing
David Daniels; Craig Ogden
Virgin Classics 545 6012
Release date October 2003

It has been nearly three years since counter-tenor Andreas Scholl released a purely "classical" solo disc (his most recent release being a disc of orchestral arrangements of British and Irish folk songs), so this new disc of chamber cantatas is most welcome. It takes its title from the Accademia dell'Arcadia that was established in Rome in 1690 to promote a more simple poetic style based on the Classics, especially Greek and Roman pastoral poetry. Several composers were admitted to this Academy, among them Alessandro Scarlatti, Franceso Gasparini, Bernardo Pasquini and Benedetto Marcello, and it is a selection of their chamber cantatas that feature on this disc. All are world premiere recordings, the main subject matter being nymphs and shepherds (or, more specifically, the delights and pain of pastoral love and rejection). Scholl's musical partners are the twelve members of the Accademia Bizantini, a superb Italian period string orchestra led from the keyboard by Ottavio Dantone. In many ways, these double cantatas are what Scholl does best: dramatic recitative preceding da capo arias of widely differing styles, with scope for much ornamentation in the repeated sections and the opportunity to interact intimately with the instrumentalists. The performances are superb, and while the music might be a little light-weight for some tastes, it is good to hear such stylish performances of little-explored repertoire. The instrumental interludes, which include a Corelli Concertino a 7, are equally delightful.
Meanwhile, American counter-tenor David Daniels has selected widely from the entire song repertory for his latest album, Songs for Voice and Guitar. Included are lute songs by Dowland, the Bach/Gounod and Schubert versions of Ave Maria, songs by Bellini and Bernstein, the sea shanty Shenandoah and Kander's A Quiet Thing. Purists may throw up their hands in horror, but the voice is glorious, the guitarist excellent, and the relaxed nature of the content makes it an ideal disc for chilling out after a hard day's Christmas shopping!

Reviewed by Anne McAlister