Born in the former Yugoslavia, Marijana Mijanovi´c brings a genuine contralto tone to her choices, which she delivers with a flexible voice and a good articulation of text. She has plenty of vocal personality of her own, though she’s less good at defining the character and situation specific to each piece. But the skill is there to negotiate the Handelian line and the vivid coloratura her predecessor evoked in such works as Rodelinda, Radamisto, Giulio Cesare, Siroe and Orlando, even if she’s inclined to chug her way through the runs rather than making them sound easy.
Sergio Ciomei and the Basel Chamber Orchestra provide sprightly support, adding in a handful of orchestral items from the same scores. A warm acoustic reflects a wide range of sound though there’s too much resonance. George Hall, BBC Music Magazine
