Avery Amereau’s sonorous contralto is ideal for this repertoire. ‘Cara sposa’ from Rinaldo is exquisitely shaded with a beautifully ornamented da capo, and the two arias from Giulio Cesare are deeply moving...The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, directed by Nicholas McGegan, one of today’s preeminent Handelian conductors, provides much more than mere accompaniment, participating fully in the drama of this rewarding collection.

Her burnt umber tones – smoothly produced, never forced – are a pleasure in themselves. Beyond this, she brings to each of these Handel arias, mostly written for castrato, abundant musical intelligence and a specific sense of character...Amereau sets the seal on a more than promising debut recital with a true and tender performance of Ruggiero’s ‘Verdi prati’ (Alcina), subtly shading the vocal line and delicately ornamenting the refrain on repeats.