1. My heavy sprite, oppress'd with sorrow's might	3:03
2. Lady, if you so spite me		2:50
3. In darkness let me dwell		4:18
4. O dear life, when shall it be?	4:58
5. Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie	2:23
6. Si le parler et la silence		4:24
7. Change thy mind since she doth change	3:54
8. Go, my flock, go get you hence	2:49
9. Se de farmi morire?			1:52          play
10. Amarilli mia bella			2:44
11. Passava Amor su arco desarmado		3:15
12. Far from triumphing court		5:11
13. Sir Robert Sidney His Galliard	2:25
14. In a grove most rich of shade	4:01
15. Vous que le Bonheur rappelle	3:01
16. Vuestros ojos tienen d'Amour	2:49
17. Sta notte mi sognava		2:25          play
18. To plead my faith			3:18
19. O Eyes, leave off your weeping	3:00
20. Dovrò dunque morire?		2:18
21. O bella piu				2:21

Andreas Scholl, countertenor
Edin Karamazov, bass lute - tenor lute
archlute - guitar - orpharion
Markus Markl, harpsichord
Christophe Coin, bass viol

These lovely songs are full of period metaphor, subtle music and complexity despite the deceptive simplicity of the presentation. They challenge the listener unused to the poetry of the period but more than repay a little concentration. If you like melancholy, you'll love it. Scholl himself described this genre of English song as `incredibly melancholy' - but not everything on this CD is, and not all the songs are English: there is lyrical Italian and French material, as well as fiery Spanish music.

These are not easy songs for a singer to do well but Andreas Scholl is ready for them, now: his voice bigger, deeper and more resonant than formerly. His thoughtful approach to text shines, as usual. His ornamentation in all the songs is just ... so. Not too much, and nothing is wanting.

He imbues In Darkness Let Me Dwell with an incredibly dark sound and a powerful intensity that I don't think he could have executed as well in earlier years. The final bars of To Plead My Faith are wrenchingly sad. The Spanish songs are spectacular in his live performance, especially Vuestros Ojos, which, live, he takes at one hell of a lick, to the immense pleasure of the audience; a fraction slower on the recording, but still very exciting. The coloratura tour de force of Sta Notte Mi Sognava is accomplished with almost throw-way ease. The genteel innuendo of Lady If You So Spite Me is done with sardonic humour and energy alternating with pathos - quite a combination. In Go My Flock, Go Get You Hence, he sounds about seventeen and full of teenage desperation: at `No, she hates me!' you can imagine the infatuated teenager flinging his arms about. The final track, O Bella Piu, is a little miracle of interpretation. Apart from the sheer perfection of voice and delivery, he does `pining' so well! He begins with quiet adoration; `non piu dolore!' is a gnat's whisker from a sob but without any loss of control or musicality - no extraneous funny business - moving into pleading in the first `Pieta!', and sheer desperation in the second. A heart-stopper.

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01. Admeto, Re di Tessaglia: Ouverture
02. Admeto, Re di Tessaglia: Ballo di Larve
03. Admeto, Re di Tessaglia: Recitativo-accompagnato
04. Admeto, Re di Tessaglia: Aria
05. Serse: Sinfonia
06. Serse: Recitativo
07. Serse: Aria
08. Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria
09. Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Gigue
10. Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria
11. Radamisto: Passacaille
12. Radamisto: Gigue
13. Radamisto: Passepied
14. Radamisto: Rigaudon
15. Rodelinda, Regina de Langobardi: Sinfonia - Recitativo
16. Rodelinda, Regina de Langobardi: Aria
17. Rodelinda, Regina de Langobardi: Sinfonia
18. Rodelinda, Regina de Langobardi: Accompagnato
19. Rodelinda, Regina de Langobardi: Aria
20. Alcina: Aria
21. Alexander's Feast: Allegro
22. Alexander's Feast: Largo
23. Alexander's Feast: Allegro
24. Alexander's Feast: Andante non Presto

Andreas Scholl – counter-tenor
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

I love the Handel collection in this album. The instrumental as well as vocal excerpts are being delivered in exceptionally musical manner. Needless to say, the 'hottest' countertenor today is Frenchman Philippe Jaroussky - and it is easy to guess why. If there is 'fach' differences in countertenors as well, Scholl is an alto, while Jaroussky and Waschinski are sopranos. Having heard Mr. Scholl in live performance, I would report that Andreas Scholl is currently the top man in this genre. Why? Countertenor technique uses almost solely the headvoice. While many countertenors enjoy an exceptionally pure and sweet timbre in the headvoice section, not all countertenors are able to be as expressive as female sopranos or mezzo-sopranos. I have not heard any countertenor who could employ mezza di voce in the manner as Scholl does. Very often, even if countertenors own voices of exceptional purity, on prolonged listening and in dramatic moments, often the delivery falls rather short even in the most musical singer. Not so for Andreas Scholl, a miraculously gifted and truly intelligent musician and singer. His repertoire extends from modern folk songs to renaissance period compositions, from lieder to operatic works. His 'Ombra Mai Fu' is about the best version available on record, whether by countertenors, mezzo-sopranos, baritones, or tenors. I totally disagree that he is a hype. Time has proven since this release that this exceptionally talently musician is an artist of the highest calibre. --- Abel "AMY" (Hong Kong)

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1. [Händel] Bel contento già gode quest'alma
2. [Händel] Pompe vane di morte!...
3. [Händel] Dove sei, amato bene?
4. [Albinoni] Stelle ingrate
5. [Albinoni] Selvagge amenità
6. [Lotti] Discordi pensieri
7. [Scarlatti] Del ciel sui giri
8. [Lotti] Fosti caro agl'occhi miei
9. [Händel] Dall'ondoso periglio...
10. [Händel] Aure, deh, per pietà
11. [Händel] Al lampo dell'armi
12. [Händel] Cara sposa
13. [Porpora] Ver per le vene il sangue


Andreas Scholl - Counter Tenor 
Byzantine Academy
Ottavio Dantone – conductor

Countertenor Andreas Scholl's Arias for Senesino collects operatic arias of the early eighteenth century, written for the castrato Senesino, whose real name was Francesco Bernardi. This focus on the music associated with a single individual has several benefits: it places the listener in the position of an opera goer of Senesino's time, awaiting the next appearance of a performer who can justifiably be called a star, and it illuminates the ways composers tailored music to a particular singer. Composers represented include Handel, who recruited Senesino to sing at London's Royal Academy of Music; Handel's arias are the largest single group, and for Senesino he created lengthy, leisurely arias that allowed the castrato to put his much-chronicled dramatic skills to work. "Cara sposa," from Rinaldo (1711) is an eight-minute example. Arias by such composers as Albinoni, Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Lotti, and Nicola Porpora are also included. These are alto castrato arias, touching on such themes as melancholy, prayer, pastoral love, and fears of impending doom. The material is ideally suited to Scholl's voice, which is creamy, expressive, precisely on pitch, and altogether endearing. He fares less well on the disc's few loud, athletic arias of anger and revenge, but for anyone who enjoys the sound of a countertenor -- a male voice singing in traditionally female ranges -- this is a fine collection from one of the world's top practitioners of the art. ---James Manheim, Rovi

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1 Jetzund kömpt die Nacht herbey  Johann Nauwach 4'02  
2 Ach Liebste, laß uns eilen  Johann Nauwach 3'05  
3 Turpe senex miles, turpe senilis amor  Heinrich Albert 4'33  
4 Veneris miseras resonare querelas  Heinrich Albert 4'10  
5 Praeludium & Chaconne VIII  Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer 5'35  
6 Die Liebesgluth verkehrt den Muth  Adam Krieger 2'40  
7 Ihr bleibet nicht Bestand verpflicht  Adam Krieger 4'02  
8 Der Liebe Macht herrscht Tag und Nacht  Adam Krieger 3'58  
9 Der Rheinsche Wein  Adam Krieger 2'00  
10 Sonata a doi, Violine e Viola da Gamba  Johann Philipp Krieger 5'49  
11 Schmilz, hartes Herz  Johann Philipp Krieger 3'39  
12 Verliebtes Weinen und Lachen  Johann Philipp Krieger 2'09  
13 Die Heißverliebte  Johann Philipp Krieger 1'53  
14 An die Einsamkeit  Johann Philipp Krieger 3'31  
15 Die holde Nacht  Johann Philipp Krieger 1'50  
16 Kunst des Küssens  Andreas Hammerschmidt 2'04  
17 Menuetto con variazioni di Locatelli  Bernhard Joachim Hagen 6'33  
18 Die Nacht  Johann Valentin Görner 5'22  
19 An den Schlaf  Johann Valentin Görner 3'23

Andreas Scholl - countertenor
Friederike Heumann - viola da gamba
Juan Manuel Quintana - viola da gamba
Markus Märlk - harpsichord
Stephanie Pfister - violin
Pablo Valetti - violin
Alix Verzier - cello

Recorded in 1995 and reissued in the budget HM Gold series in 2010 (with the sumptuous packaging commendably intact), this album has never been one of the "hits" by German countertenor Andreas Scholl. It covers a repertoire that was (and remains) virtually unknown, and it doesn't really play to the sentimental side of Scholl's personality. Nevertheless, this is one of his very best releases, and even casual Scholl fans who missed it the first time around are advised to pick it up. In 1995 he was in absolutely prime voice, and even though he here has few of the pure melodies in which he excels, he finds plenty of subtle ways to deploy it in text expression and in delineating unusual harmonic moves. The obscurity of the music should actually be cause for recognition of Scholl's ability to pick a program buried mostly in archives and bring it to life; there's hardly a dull moment here, and many of these German Baroque solo songs (some from operas) are delightful. Some are humorous, with topics ranging from the art of kissing (track 16) to Rhine wine; these are balanced by several melancholy pieces that might be compared to Dowland but really resemble nothing else in the repertoire. Sample Johann Philipp Krieger's An die Einsamkeit (track 17), which is one of the all-time most ravishing Scholl numbers on disc, hard drive, or what have you. The pieces by this Krieger are strophic songs from operas, but those by the older Adam Krieger are true lieder, with texts by the composer himself, and they highlight Scholl's way with simple, heartfelt material. Other composers on the album set more complex texts by the likes of poet Martin Opitz, and there's plenty to chew on here for those seriously interested in German music and literature of the 17th century. On the other hand, this is the rare example of a program of unknown music that anyone who loves beautiful singing will enjoy. With glorious engineering to boot, this is simply hard to top. ---James Manheim

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1.	Behold a wonder here, for voice, lute & bass viol (Third Book of Songs)
2.	Me, me, and none but me, for 4 voices & lute (Third Book of Songs)
3.	All ye whom love or fortune hath betrayed (First Book of Songs), for 4 voices & lute
4.	The Lady Russell's Pavan, for lute, P 17
5.	The Three Ravens, folk song
6.	O Waly, Waly, folk song
7.	King Henry, folk song
8.	Kemp's Gigue
9.	My sweetest Lesbia
10.	I Care Not for These Ladies for voice, lute & bass viol
11.	My Love Hath Vowed Hee Will Forsake Mee for voice, lute & bass viol
12.	I saw my lady weep, for 2 voices & lute (Second Book of Song)
13.	Flow, my tears, fall from your springs, for 2 voices & lute (Second Book of Songs)
14.	Sorrow, stay, lend true repentant tears, for 2 voices & lute (Second Book of Songs)
15.	Say, Love if ever thou didst find, for 4 voices & lute (Third Book of Songs)
16.	Can she excuse my wrongs, for 4 voices & lute (First Book of Songs)
17.	Go from my window, song arranged for lute, P 64
18.	Go from my window, song arranged for lute, P 64
19.	I Will Give My Love an Apple, folk song
20.	Barbara Allen, folk song
21.	Lord Rendall, folk song

Andreas Scholl - Counter Tenor
Andreas Martin - Lute 

The CD starts with Behold a Wonder Here (Dowland) and for people familiar with Emma Kirby's rendering, it's a bit of a surprise. Nothing namby-pamby about this: it suits Andreas's range perfectly and he lets go with plenty of oomph.

The unaccompanied King Henry is a showcase for his purity of tone. I doubt that other countertenors could pull this song off so well, of those one thinks of at the present time.

His expression in My Love Hath Vow'd (Campion) is very varied and playful, but it is so very much a woman's song that I found it hard to take from Andreas Scholl, albeit sung so so well. I had to imagine the composer singing with his own lute, and remind myself over and over again that the singer is quoting the woman in the song ...

The preoccupation with sorrow and death of the English composers of the period seems to amuse Andreas somewhat, when he is asked about it, but you would never know it from listening to him sing these sad songs. His steady, pure voice is like a rope drawing you right into the pain. The highlights IMHO are All Ye Whom Love or Fortune Has Betrayed and I Saw My Lady Weep. Heartbreaking.

Andreas Scholl describes himself as a singer in the English tradition - despite what others say of him and his German/Swiss musical background. In these archetypal English songs, he proves his point. It is a beautiful, beautful collection. ---R.J. Gunsell, amazon.com

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1. Serse / Act 1 - Rec. "Frondi Tenere E Belle"
2. Serse / Act 1 - "Ombra Mai Fù"                    play
3. Semele HWV 58 / Act 2 - Where'Er You Walk
4. Saul, HWV 53 / Act 2 - 46. Air: Such Haughty Beauties
5. Saul, HWV 53 / Act 1 - 32. Air: O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless
6. Rodelinda / Act 3 - Vivi, Tiranno, Io T'Ho Scampato
7. Rodelinda / Act 2 - Con Rauco Mormorio
8. Giulio Cesare / Act 3 - Dall'Ondoso Periglio      play
9. Giulio Cesare / Act 3 - Aure, Deh, Per Pietà
10. Artaserse - Opera in 3 Acts - Pallido Il Sole
11. Orfeo Ed Euridice (Orphée Et Eurydice) - Sung In Italian/Vienna Version (1762) / Act 3 - Aria: "Che Farò Senza Euridice?"
12. Ascanio In Alba, KV 111 / Part 2 - Al Mio Ben Mi Veggio Avanti
13. Telemaco, Or L'isola Di Circe - Dramma Per Musica In 2 Acts - Ah! Non Turbi Il Mio Riposo
14. Mitridate, Re Di Ponto, K.87 / Act 1 - "Venga Pur, Minacci E Frema"

Andreas Scholl - countertenor
Sarah Fulgoni - vocals
Frances Kelly - harp
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Roger Norrington - conductor

The gods of musical commerce are smiling on hot young countertenor Andreas Scholl: this is his second CD of opera arias to appear in less than a month. The previous disc, a selection of Handel arias on Harmonia Mundi, showcased Scholl's considerable strengths: subtle and sensitive phrasing, deft coloratura, and a pure, rounded tone with little of the disembodied hootiness that used to be accepted from countertenors. His first recital disc for Decca gives us a wider range of music (Hasse, Gluck, and Mozart as well as Handel) and a more complete representation of Scholl's singing--vices as well as virtues. Among the former are his top notes (sometimes squealy or poorly tuned) and a Joan Sutherland-like combination of beautiful sound with indistinct diction and lack of temperament. This is particularly damaging in the laments from Rodelinda and Giulio Cesare, which come across as mere pleasant pastorales; the famous "Che farò?" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice sounds self-satisfied rather than bereft. (To be fair, Roger Norrington's jaunty tempos deserve much of the blame for this.) Scholl also aspirates his coloratura, which will bother some listeners more than others. On the other hand, "Oh, Lord, whose mercies numberless" from Handel's Saul is radiant, and the two arias from early Mozart operas are thrilling. In the end, the disc gives a fair, well-rounded picture of an important young singer. Speaking of pictures, by the way, Decca's photographer deserves plaudits for making this tall, somewhat gawky German with Nana Mouskouri glasses look almost glamorous. --Matthew Westphal

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1. The Three Ravens	3:22
2. Barbara Allen	3:12	
3. Messiah: Air "But who may abide the day of His coming?"	4:45
4. Serse: Sinfonia	1:15	
5. Serse: Recitativo "Frondi tenere"	0:41
6. Serse: Aria "Ombra mai fù" (Atto I, scena 1)	3:06
7. Cantate RV 684: Largo e sciolto. "Cessate, omai cessate"	2:01	play
8. Cantate RV 684: Larghetto & Andante molto. "Ah ch'infelice sempre"	5:17	
9. Cantate RV 684: Andante. "A voi dunque ricorro"	1:17
10. Cantate RV 684: Allegro. "Nell'orrido albergo ricetto di pene"	3:44
11. Mass in B minor: Agnus Dei	6:36
12. Stabat Mater: "Eja mater, fons amoris"	2:46
13. Stabat Mater: "Fac ut ardeat"	1:40	play	
14. Stabat Mater: "Amen"	1:10
15. Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo: Recitativo "Di miei dardi possenti"	0:38
16. Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo: Aria "Da quel strale che stilla veleno"	7:05
17. Cantata "Jubilate Domino"	8:46	
18. Ach Liebste, laß uns eilen	3:11
19. Kunst des Küssens	2:10
20. Cantata "Hercules auf dem Scheidewege": Aria "Treues Echo"	6:45
21. Matthäus-Passion: Aria "Erbarme dich"	6:38

Arts Florissants Orchestra
Conductor: René Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe, William Christie, Chiara Banchini

Versed in all Italian, German and English Early Music repertoire - Andreas Scholl, young as he indeed is, deserved such a compilation of his awesome singing career dating back to the late 80s. Such a cd should not forget his magnificent Bach, both religious (his "Agnus Dei" from Bach's Mass in B minor is indeed the finest I have heard, only comparable to Bowman's) and secular, which has often brought him the applause of critics from all over the world (including some not so much in favour of his voice type - the lately rather fashionable countertenor one). Neither have they forgotten his award-winner Vivaldi, mainly represented in this album by the cantata "Cessate, omai cessate" as dramatically powerful both the work and the reading as one could ever wish for. So much could one add about his delighting english folksongs, which will undoubtely lead most listeners to his forthcoming Dowland album, to be released in a few weeks. Indeed, a excellent introduction not only to Mr Scholl's unique singing but also to the interesting figure of the countertenor and to the intensely compelling music prior to Mozart. ---amazon.com

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