There is no shortage of heroic roles in Gluck’s repertoire. As well as Orfeo, from Orfeo ed Euridice, many memorable parts were assigned to the alto voice (whether male castratos or female contraltos) and it is precisely this repertory which is celebrated on this CD.

Gluck had the good fortune to work in the age of such celebrated alto singers as Gaetano Guadagni, Giovanni Carestini, Vittoria Tesi and many others. Much of this repertory remains unrecorded until now, as Glossa steps in to fill the gap, aided and abetted by Sonia Prina, one of the leading contraltos of her generation. She teams up with the fine Milanese laBarocca orchestra, conducted by Ruben Jais, for her first full-scale opera recital on disc. Sonia Prina sang the leading role in Handel’s pasticcio Catone, released on Glossa to widespread acclaim, as a prelude to her mind-blowing performance in Silla, another Handel opera, conducted by Fabio Biondi, to be presented in autumn 2017, also for Glossa.

“Biondi reveals the score's potential with perfect pacing, breathless silences and towering affective climaxes, leaving you wanting more even after three hours...[Prina] personifies dignity, commanding outrageous passagi with almost scornful ease.” – BBC Music Magazine, June 2015 *****