Arias for Caffarelli – Franco Fagioli

Thanks to his outstanding virtuosity and heart-rending expressivity, countertenor Franco Fagioli has turned to be one of the most exciting vocal artists of recent times. Frequent partner of Cecilia Bartoli, specialist in Handel and Monteverdi, he is now firmly established on the European Baroque scene.

‘Arias for Caffarelli’ is Fagoli’s debut album on Naïve and this release follows his recent triumph in the renowned Vinci ‘Artaserse’, also featuring Philippe Jaroussky and Max Emmanuel Cencic: “Franco Fagioli, in pure, resonant voice, gives an outstanding performance as Arbace.” The New York Times “Franco Fagioli, as Arbace, shows the largest vocal range from tenoral depth up to soprano.” Die Welt Castrato Caffarelli was probably the best rival of Farinelli in the 18th century in Italy (mainly in Napoli and Rome).

Caffarelli was renowned for both his extravagance and his extraordinary vocal skills. Recorded here for the first time, those extremely virtuoso arias by the most famous Neapolitan composers of that time were waiting to find a voice able to give them a new life. The full-colour 76-page booklet includes essays and pictures about eighteenth-century musical life in Naples, Caffarelli and Farinelli etc.