Stradella: La Doriclea - Baráth, Bridelli, Sabata, Martellacci, Cervoni, Novaro, Andrea De Carlo, Il Pomo d'Oro
Quarterly Critics' Choice 1.2019 - German Record Critics' Award. Conductor and former double bass player Andrea De Carlo has dedicated himself to this complete edition of Alessandro Stradella's oeuvre; this is the fifth volume. De Carlo has founded a Festival in Nepi, north of Rome - Stradella's birthplace - specifically for this project. Stradella was a prolific lesser master with a certain flair. His violent death in 1682, after being driven out of Venice for an affair, probably accorded him more fame than his music. The cloak-and-dagger opera "La Doriclea", his 1670 debut in this genre, is a comedy of errors within the tradition of early baroque opera. The fabulous Hungarian soprano Emöke Baráth adds class to the recording. Top marks for a remarkable rediscovery! It teaches us just how colorful and variable even the fine print of the Baroque can be. (For the jury: Kai Luehrs-Kaiser)