George Frideric Händel: Neun Deutsche Arien (Nine German Arias)
Antonio Vivaldi: Trio Sonata in G minor, RV 63 "La Follia" (Transposed and adapted for treble recorder and violin)

The booklet notes explain: "Neun Deutsche Arien, HWV 202-210 are somewhat out of the ordinary flowers in Händel's lush compositional bouquet. Firstly, the collection is a rare example of him composing to lyrics in his mother tongue. (Italian, Latin and English otherwise completely dominate his vocal music). Secondly, the arias are composed with unusual poetic precision, with a consummate balance between words and tones. Thirdly, the composer never looks to arouse overwhelming emotions in the listener, as is often the aim of other baroque music. He appeals as much to our reason as to our emotions. The ethics that are expressed in the poetry gain their aesthetic consequence in Händel's music."

They are based on texts within the epic poem cycle titled "Earthly Pleasure in God" by Barthold Heinrich Brockes. Here is a wonderful recording of Händel's Brockes-Passion by the way. He was part of the Enlightenment movement in Germany. He was the first German writer to connect nature with the divine. These arias were published posthumously, with the first printed edition made public as late as 1921.

The expressive yet resolute voice of countertenor Daniel Sæther proves a perfect match to these restrained and unornamented songs, which eschew the baroque overuse of melismatic and ostentatious virtuosity. They were obviously written to focus attention on the text, and to display the beauty of the human voice.

This is the debut recording of Ensemble C4, a Norwegian baroque music ensemble, whose three founding members, Daniel Sæther (Countertenor), Caroline Eidsten Dahl (Recorder), and Ingrid Økland (Baroque Violin), work in tandem with freelance musicians, and can expand or condense their numbers in keeping with the music at hand. They bring subtle yet solid support within the Händel arias, but it's within the Vivaldi Trio Sonata that their detailed and sprightful expressive energy shines through.