J.C. Bach: La Dolce Fiamma- Forgotten castrato arias

Philippe Jaroussky's last operatic recital for Virgin Classics collected arias written for a castrato singer, Carestini, whose star had been somewhat eclipsed by his contemporaries Farinelli and Senesino. In this newest release, the French countertenor, with his voice of "startling beauty" (Classic FM ) turns to a composer who -- despite his famous surname, his celebrity in his lifetime, and his influence on the young Mozart -- is still not given his full due: Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782). The repertoire is comprised of arias from six of his operas, written for Milan, Mannheim and London, the city in which he spent the last 20 years of his life and where, in 1764, he met the Mozart, then a touring child prodigy.Jaroussky is an international star, and the ethereal, sensuous beauty of his voice lends itself perfectly to the voluptuous, decadent music in these songs -- including a number of rarities by composers such as Dukas, Caplet, and Chaminade, as well as better-known numbers by figures like Fauré, Chausson and Hahn. Jaroussky's partners on this disc are Le Cercle de L'Harmonie and Jérémie Rhorer, who played an important role in soprano Diana Damrau's Virgin Classics recitals Arie di bravura and Mozart: Donna.