Handel: Dopo Notte Atra e Funestra

Aris Christofellis, sopranist. Although in 1733 George Frideric Handel had heard castrati Farinelli and Carestini in Balogna, Farinelli ended up in London singing for Handels competitors Hasse and then Porpora. When Handel revived Ariodante in 1736, he had to turn to high-soprano-castrato Gizziello (Gioacchino Conti). Despite sopranist Aris Christofellis handicap of having to sing falsetto, his vocal acrobatics and breath control are far superior, because of male physiology and Baroque training, to that by the energetic but very flawed performance by a well known soprano. Dopo notte atra e funestra,..After the dark and terrible night splende in ciel piu vago il sole..the sun shines more brightly in the sky i di gioia impie la terra...and fills the earth with joy. Mentre in orrida tempesta..My ship, having been engulfed il mio legno e quasi assorto,..in the dreadful storm giunge in porto e l lido affera...gains harbour and reaches the shore. sfkcbf