La Prima Diva : Arias pour Faustina Bordoni

   in Early Music Today (Sep, 2014)
The mezzo Faustina Bordoni (1697–1781) was noted not only for the brilliance of her coloratura technique, but a famous rivalry with the soprano Francesca Cuzzoni (1696–1778) that kept London tongues wagging during the 1720s, when both were appearing in Handel’s operas. For more musical partisans of the pair, there were fundamental differences, Cuzzoni being seen as an upholder of a traditional lyrical eloquence best suited to tragic roles, while Bordoni’s bravura adroitness and acting abilities were ideal for strong parts. In fact, the arias composed for Bordoni on this CD clearly show that such compartmentalisation is at best misleading, as can be clearly seen from the totally contrasted arias for Rosmira …