Posted by Stephen Walsh on July 06, 19102 at 09:42:02:

In Reply to: Emma Kirkby posted by Steve Brock on July 23, 19101 at 13:00:41:

In my opinion Emma Kirkby is among the very finest interpreters of Baroque and Renaissance music, in particular of Handel and Dowland. She has very little, if any, vibrato that sopranos so often put on very heavily to the point where you are not able to make out the words or the notes, and which is all the more distasteful, incorrect and inappropriate for Baroque and Renaissance music. She has a fantastic flare and "feel" for this repertoire, and has emerged as one of the most important figures of the newfound movement towards authentic performance practice in 16th-18th century music. If there is anything she does lack however, it is probably power of the voice: in Handel's day even a castrato was said to be able to entirely fill an opera theatre with sound. However, Kirkby does manage to blend a fine lyrical voice with one of more dramatic appeal, without sounding forceful or strained. She has complete control of her voice, her sprezzatura giving no hint of the diffuculty both musical and technical of the repertoire presented. I have several of her recordings, including the well-known version of Messiah with the Academy of Ancient Music and Christopher Hogwood. Ever since I heard her reading of the aria "But who may abide" from that work, it has become the interpretation by which i judge all other interpretations of it. Although she only has 2 or 3 solo numbers, this would be a fantastic recording to pursue (it is also as a matter of fact acknowledged as "the definitive" version of Messiah )
I also use www.onlineclics.com!! What else do you listen to there?

Follow Ups:

• Re: Emma Kirkby, C. Hogwood's Messiah John Rasmussen 16:49:41 7/15/102 (2)
  • Re: Emma Kirkby, C. Hogwood's Messiah Stephen Walsh 01:52:47 7/22/102 (1)
    • Re: Emma Kirkby, C. Hogwood's Messiah John Rasmussen 09:54:40 7/23/102 (0)

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