Presto Recording of the Week
22nd November 2024

Carlo Vistoli (countertenor), Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Bruno de Sá (soprano), Julia Lezhneva (soprano), Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor), David Hansen (countertenor)
Les Accents, Thibault Noally

Six virtuoso vocal soloists and the instrumentalists of Les Accents rise to the dramatic and expressive challenges of Serpentes ignei in deserto – ‘Fiery Serpents in the Desert’ – a biblical oratorio by Johann Adolf Hasse.

As the conductor and violinist Thibault Noally explains: “Hasse was probably one of the most famous composers of his time – as famous as Handel, or even more famous than Handel in some countries.” Born near Hamburg in 1699, Hasse studied in Italy and was active in such musical centres as Naples, Vienna, Dresden and Venice, where he composed Serpentes ignei in deserto.

The central role of Moses is taken by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, who is joined by soprano Julia Lezhneva as an Angel, sopranist Bruno de Sá, and three further star countertenors – Jakub Józef Orliński, Carlo Vistoli and David Hansen.

“The score is demanding for all the singers,” continues Thibault Noally. “Every character is very different from the others and each of our soloists has a unique personality and a unique vocal timbre. The result is a huge variety of temperaments and colours.”

"The stand-out performances come courtesy of the two sopranos. As Josue (the gentlest and most faithful of the exhausted Israelites), Bruno de Sá provides some of the most luminously beautiful singing on the album...Julia Lezhneva once again delivers the bravura firepower which won her a record-contract with Decca in her early twenties, but what’s equally startling is the new level of dramatic conviction in her singing here." - Katherine Cooper, Presto Music, 22nd November 2024