Product Review

Young countertenor Iestyn Davies makes his highly anticipated Hyperion solo debut with an enchanting disc of cantatas by the Italian composer Nicola Porpora. Porpora s ability to set the Italian language to music was widely acknowledged during his lifetime and his music is full of imaginative word painting. Davies luminous tone has a celestial purity and he performs with prodigious technical assurance. His astonishing breath control creates a seamless melodic line. Davies is accompanied by the ensemble Arcangelo in interpretations that go far beyond mere historical understanding.