Nathalie Stutzmann & Orfeo 55 - Handel: Heroes from the Shadows (2014)

The characters given the Handel arias on this release by French contralto Nathalie Stutzmann are indeed "heroes from the shadows": they're mostly minor personages from the operas they represent, and the contraltos did stand in the shadows behind Handel's celebrated imported countertenors (and feuding sopranos). The arias involved are not (with one or two exceptions) transposed countertenor arias, but true alto pieces. Stutzmann has had parallel careers as a singer and conductor, and since the late 2000s decade she has sometimes combined the two in performances that she both sings and conducts her ensemble Orfeo 55, as she does here. The result is a collection of music that's rather unassuming yet executed with great skill. Stutzmann introduces each group of arias with a sinfonia that, although it does not come from any of the operas in the group, matches them in mood and gesture. Her voice, rich although not exceptionally large and given to slightly idiosyncratic moods, is a matter of taste. But it will stick with listeners, and so do the instrumental details of the performances and the overall shaping of the program. Some might even find this a set of hidden Handel gems, and the sheer novelty factor of the forces will make it compelling even for those less enamored of Stutzmann's voice. ~ James Manheim