Haydn: Cantatas & Arias

Album review

Christopher Hogwood recorded this album dedicated to Haydn’s cantatas and concert arias in 1990 as he began the complete Symphonies which remain incomplete to this day. The American coloratura soprano Arleen Augér was then at the top of her game musically. She made an excellent Marzelline in Fidelio and a splendid Konstanze in L’Enlèvement au serail which she recorded with Karl Böhm. She also participated in the campaign for resurrecting Haydn’s operas under the direction of Antal Doráti with whom she recorded Orlando Paladino. In addition, she sang Exsultate Jubilate by Mozart in front of millions of television viewers for the royal wedding of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew in 1986. Cited as a favourite opera singer of Leonard Bernstein and Sir Simon Rattle, she retired in 1992 after being diagnosed with a malign brain tumour which took her at the age of 53. This most beautiful record is well-known among collectors and fans of Arleen Augér’s soft and clear voice. The three cantatas are separated by two concert arias that carry a real operatic feeling. The Scena di Berenice magnificently expresses heartbreak with a rather rare (for Haydn) expressive abandonment. Christopher Hogwood accompanies the opera singer demonstrating delicate artistry. All in all, listening to this record makes for fifty-three minutes of delight. © François Hudry/Qobuz