Handel: Acis and Galatea (complete opera)

"Handel's pastoral opera is a tale of love, tragedy and liberation. The libretto by John Gay, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses (book XIII), tells of the eternal love between the mortal shepherd Acis and goddess Galatea and how it is doomed by the jealous cyclops Polyphemus. Handel's music beautifully demonstrates the pain and love in such beautiful, dramatic choruses as 'Wretched lovers!' and the grief felt by Galatea in 'Must I my Acis still bemoan'. Staying true to the premiere in 1718, just five singers and nine instrumentalists feature on this intimate recording." BBC Music

"There is no doubt that the smaller forces bring not only greater clarity and sweetness but also uplifting drafts of clean air that seem entirely appropriate to the work…the singers are not the operatically outgoing sort. Rather, they offer uncomplicated vocal beauty and intimacy…Stuart Young's Polyphemus, indeed, provides the most impressive singing and acting here, conjuring a monster who roars and blusters but stops short of pantomime villainy." Gramophone

"It is the well-balanced madrigalian choruses and ensembles that come off best…The politeness of the opening chorus is a feature of music of the solo singing…As is not uncommon in Acis, honours here are stolen by the splendidly virile but not entirely unsympathetic Polyphemus of Stuart Young, while the pure cantabile lines of Grace Davidsons's sweetly vulnerable Galatea also give much pleasure." Opera

"Christophers uses stylish Handelians and "consort" singers who blend to perfection in this intimate "chamber" performance. The big success here is Simon Berridge's rotund-sounding, menacing Polyphemus, but Grace Davidson's virginal Galatea gives immense pleasure." Sunday Times