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Sopranos and mezzos tend to steal the thunder from tenors in Handel's operas, but there are a few notable exceptions, reflected in Mark Padmore's program here. The imprisoned emperor Bajazet (Tamerlano) and the villainous duke Grimoaldo (Rodelinda) are probably the most complex of Handel's tenor characters. Padmore takes them both on, but without the nobility for the first or the tortured guilt for the second. Alas, the tenor's Italian is unidiomatic, while the voice is sorely notably lacking in variety of color. It's in the oratorios that Handel gives his tenors much more attention, especially in such title roles as Jephtha and Samson. Each requires extraordinary eloquence and tragic grandeur, neither of which is in evidence here. Padmore finally lets his voice out in Jephtha's potentially thrilling "His Mighty Arm," which also displays the tenor's impressive coloratura (would that a few more florid arias had been included). Otherwise he seemingly tiptoes through music that requires a direct, forthright manner. The rarely heard arias from Alceste and L'allegro better suit Padmore's sweet, lightweight sound and exceedingly "polite" delivery. There are two fine supporting singers, and the English Concert--long a standard-setter among English original-instrument ensembles--offers impeccable support. --Roger Pines
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