Baroque Arias with Florilegium in Milan

Last week it was a great pleasure to sing a variety of arias in concert with Florilegium in the glorious Museo Nationale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. Three Handel arias, ‘A dispetto d’un volto ingrato’ (Tamerlano), ‘Amor nel mio penar’ (Flavio) and the timeless ‘Ombra mai fu’ (Serse) were interspersed with Porpora’s ‘Alto Giove’ (Polifemo) and Vivaldi’s Cessate, omai cessate.

It was a certainly a challenging sing. ‘Amor nel mio penar’ is a slow, pained lament, as is ‘Ah, ch’infelice sempre’, the second movement of the Vivaldi. ‘Ombra mai fu’ and ‘Alto giove’ are stately arias, both conveying grandeur and serenity. These contrasted starkly with the furious coloratura of ‘A dispetto’ and the energetic, impassioned final movement of Cessate, omai cessate.

It was a wonderful experience to sing in such a venue alongside such an excellent group in Florilegium, and a treat to listen to them during the pieces I had off!