Lynne Dawson - My Personal Handel Collection (2003)

Lynne Dawson, whose name and voice are familiar to millions from her performance of "Libera me" from Verdi's Requiem at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, is the warm-toned soprano whose stylish, expressive performances and recordings of Baroque and English repertoire have edified and entertained thousands of classical music fans. In this 2003 disc with German conductor Wolfgang Katschner leading the early music orchestra Lautten Compagney, Dawson concentrates entirely on arias from the operas and oratorios great German-English Baroque composer George Frideric Handel and the results are unsurprisingly excellent. Dawson's voice is clear but dulcet, her technique is supple but effortless, and her phrasing is graceful but affecting. In this compendious collection of heroines, Dawson is equally convincing as the seductive Cleopatra, the saintly Theodore, and as either of the two Harlots from Solomon. With the agile and adept accompaniments of the Lautten Compagney, Dawson's Handel collection will not only edify and entertain her thousands of classical music fans, it may even become familiar to the millions who know her only as the soprano from the Princess Di's funeral. Berlin Classics' sound is richly detailed and deeply luxuriant.