Handel: Bad Guys

Xavier Sabata is an exceptional singer. He takes the music from a resolutely revolutionary angle, accompanied by the Italian ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro, conducted by Riccardo Minasi. This album, dedicated to the 'bad boys' in operas by Georges Friedrich Handel, is crossed with tears, joy and rage. A wonder to all lovers of exceptional vocal discoveries. During the 2011-2012 season, Xavier Sabata appears at the most prestigious opera houses, festivals and concert halls in Europe, with the best orchestras. Born in Barcelona in 1976, he graduated in drama from the Theatre Institute in his hometown. He studied with the famous duo of Mitsuko Shirai and Hartmut Höll and participated in master classes with Montserrat Figueras, Richard Levitt and Christoph Prégardien. His participation in the 'Coronation of Poppea' by Monteverdi at the Opera de Lyon marked the beginning of his regular collaboration with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie. Upcoming engagements include the lead at the Royal Opera Oviedo (Ottone, in Agrippina), the Megaron in Athens, at the Theater an der Wien and at the Royal Opera of Versailles. He sang Iarba in Cavalli's 'La Didone' at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, subsequently recorded by Decca. BBC Music Magazine July 2013 **** “Sabata has a warm, mellifluous voice, which tends to underplay the villainous tendencies of his 'bad guys'...From a purely musical standpoint Sabata's recital is rewarding. His technique and intonation are flawless. His ornaments are tastefully discreet and he seems to effortlessly surmount Handel's exacting coloratura.” Gramophone Magazine April 2013 “his exploration of 'Bad Guys' steers towards arias seldom heard out of context...Sabata offers the sweetest singing he has yet produced on disc” MusicWeb International 27th May 2013 “[The orchestra] plays magnificently: springy and powerful...Strong-voiced and evil-sounding...Sabata’s counter-tenor is deeper in tone than most of the singers in this repertoire today...he sounds the way he looks on the CD cover...This disc should be an ideal addition to all Handelians’ collections.” Opera April 2013 “Minasi’s strings offer percussive vehemence … and a foil to the richness of Sabata’s coloratura … Sabata’s voice is wonderfully flexible, finding exciting colours at both extremes of his range … this is a fine disc, and Sabata proves himself an excellent tour-guide through some of the seamier back streets of Handel’s operas” The Guardian 6th February 2013 ***** “This ranks among the most intelligent and striking recital discs of recent years...The beauty of Sabata's singing is breathtaking, however unsettling his characters. We are constantly aware of Handel's ability to tell us how these men have become who and what they are...Matchless, and highly recommended.”