Attention to historical detail has been a hallmark of the Cambridge Handel Opera Group’s stagings over the past two decades, and was strongly in evidence from the opening moments of this new production, directed by Tom Hawkes... Expressive poses were struck, gestures carefully weighed …: enough to warm the cockles of anyone frustrated by the interpretative licence so notoriously characteristic of the Handel revival in the world beyond Cambridge … Most memorable was the rich, lustrous mezzo of Clara Mouriz as Tirinto, in a performance whose captivating vocal qualities made her eventual rejection by Rosmene (Pamela Hay) all the more bewildering. Both Hay and Katherine Bond (as Imeneo’s thwarted suitor Clomiri) meanwhile navigated nimbly around the challenges posed by their arias. Still more virtuosic, however, were the contributions of the Faculty of Music Baroque Ensemble, which performed with real flair under the assured baton of the CHOG’s founder and guiding light, Andrew Jones (who also provided the skilful and eminently singable translation).
Opera magazine, 2007
