Serse, Fagioli, Il Pomo d’Oro, Barbican review – a night in counter-tenor heaven

«It was fascinating, for instance, to see how the prominent onstage instrumentalists alter the way one hears those iconic Handelian numbers – how Daniel Zapico’s theorbo ornamentation, say, adds to the spine-tingling magic of “Ombra mai fù”, or how Atalanta’s provoking – and beautifully sung – dialogue with the violin on “Un cenno leggiadretto” turns up that teasing aria’s erotic heat.»

The Arts Desk
Boyd Tonkin | Octubre 2018