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I am presenting you an album that was released on 3^rd February, 2014. As a matter of fact, 3^rd February was a propitious day for album releases: the album signed by Yuja Wang and Gustavo Dudamel, that of Max Emanuel Cencic, presented here below, the album Eventide of the Voces 8 ensemble and violinist Julia Fischer’s album named Sarasate.

Thus, today, we are going to enjoy some Rokoko music in the company of the counter-tenor who is said to have the most beautiful voice of the kind nowadays. It is very flattering for the 37 year old Croatian vocalist!

Those who went to the George Enescu International Festival on 8^th September, 2013 or those who listened to the broadcast performance of Handel’s Alessandro on that day learnt more things about the counter-tenor Max Emanuel Cencic . He is undoubtedly one of today’s most spectacular voices. Firstly, because his counter-tenor voice is extraordinary and secondly, because Max Emanuel Cencic wins you over both with his amazing technical speed suiting the baroque repertoire and with the beauty of his voice, not to mention his stage presence - it suffices to see his photo on the cover of his album Rokoko.

I like this album for various reasons.

One of the reasons is that it brings into requisition a repertoire that we so rarely have the opportunity to listen to on the stage during concerts or on other CDs. Even though Johan Adolf Hasse was a veritable star back in his day, nowadays, practically none of his numerous opere serie is interpreted anymore. We can understand the opera situation because there are not many who would enact an opera whose value was doubted even by those who were contemporary with Hasse and who put the latter in an antithesis with Gluck, the reformer. But we should be more indulgent and we should enjoy his instrumental music pieces, such as the beautiful Mandolin and Orchestra Concerto in G major, performed by Theodoros Kitsos and the members of the Armonia Atenea ensemble, with George Petrou as a conductor.

Why Johan Adolf Hasse’ music?

I think that a possible answer is that on 23^rd March, we celebrate 315 years since the composer’s birthday. Another one is that Hasse’ music suits the counter-tenor voice of Max Emanuel Cencic, the star of this album. It gives him technical speed, a more interestingly produced music than the baroque arias intended for neuter voices and, why not, novelty, since there are so few albums with the music of the German composer who lived from 1699 to 1783.

In addition, we are witnessing a performance which, in my opinion, all should refer to. And those from the Opera Magazine also share my opinion, since they offered this album record Le diamant de l’opera distinction.

I cannot stop listening to the Rokoko album without reminding you that Max Emanuel Cencic was awarded numerous prizes for his albums, including the latest one, the Echo prize he received in 2013 and also that Handel’s Alessandro production, starring Max Emanuel Cencic, was named the Opera of the Year by the Mezzo television channel.

Maybe there is no need to point out these things after listening to the Rokoko album as the visible quality of the performance, the counter-tenor’s virtuosity and also the sensation of vigour which his performance transmits should suffice.