Dunedin Consort: ‘Handel in Rome’

Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh - 29/03/23 

Matthew Truscott, director | Nardus Williams, soprano 

The Dunedin Consort have taken this wonderful concert, planned around the music of the early years of Handel’s career in Rome (approx. 1706-9) on a short tour of Scottish locations, then to the Wigmore Hall and Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden. On the 29th March, a packed audience in Greyfriars Kirk heard the English soprano Nardus Williams give a masterful performance of two early Handel cantatas and two arias from his two Italian oratorios, accompanied by a small, 16-strong, strings and woodwind ensemble of the Dunedin Consort, who also played two later instrumental works by Handel, with strong links to his Italian period.  

The concert opened with the Consort’s performance of the overture to Handel’s opera ‘Admeto’, first performed in London in 1727, although reminiscent of the Italian cantatas, which were written at a time when opera was banned in Italy. The ensemble comprised a strings section of 10, including Viola da Gamba and theorbo, plus harpsichord, oboes and recorders. They moved from stately opening to the frenzied second movement with their usual authority.   

For all the pleasure and respect with which we listen to the Dunedin Consort the extra special treat of this evening was the performance of Nardus Williams, who was winner of the Rising Talent award at the 2022 International Opera Awards. In what was a challenging programme she sang throughout with power, finesse and feeling, demonstrating dramatic skills that promise much for her future operatic career. Her first piece, ‘Ero and Leandro’, tells the story of Hero’s grief at the death of her lover Leander whose nightly crossing of the Hellespont failed on this occasion when Hero’s lamp was extinguished. Williams expresses rage, then the extremes of grief and finally tender mourning resignation as she joins him in death. This was followed by a dramatic aria from ‘Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno’, and after the interval and after the Dunedin Consort’s performance of Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6, ‘Tra le fiamme, Handel’s setting of the thoughts of Cardinal Pamphili on the fate of Icarus. Icarus’ story has inspired numerous artistic interpretations, and whilst Pamphili’s words may not match the elegance or wisdom of Auden’s or indeed the vision of Brueghel, this is fine music. In the words of the programme note Handel ‘combines viola da gamba and recorders to great effect to deliver by turns the wavering human heart, the beating wings of Icarus and the rippling waves of the sea’. Alison McGillivray (on viola da gamba), Frances Norbury and László Rózsa (on recorder) combine with Williams to show us the ‘thousand moths (who) die in the fire’ and the unfurling of Icarus’ wings as he ‘plays amidst the flames for fun’. McGillivray and Williams join forces once more in the final aria, ‘Per mi glá di morire’, Mary Magdalene’s lament from ‘La Resurrezione’. 

Thanks again to the Dunedin Consort and to Nardus Williams for an exceptionally fine concert. 

Cover photo: Bertie Watson