(review based on the original quality of the physical SACD!)

In all those years that I’ve followed Eudora Records, there has been one constant factor: The sound quality and the honesty with which each new release is engineered. If the online available snippets provide sufficient information about the music and the quality of the performance, one can purchase the SACD without hesitation. The sound master in chief is Gonzalo Noqué, but we mustn’t forget the one responsible for the DSD mastering, Tom Caulfield. I’ve never been disappointed, and this latest release is one more case in point.

That said, some may regret that the ‘Castrato Arias’ are not sung by a castrato to replicate the original performance. Although it would fit the fashion of Historically Informed Performance, I think we ought to be glad that in these modern times, female replacements are no longer necessary. Besides, in those days, there was no guarantee whatsoever that a castrated male would ever become a good enough singer to be invited to perform these arias. A risky adventure indeed.

A voice is an awkward instrument. No other instrument is as personal as that. I have often refrained from reviewing a singer to avoid having to criticise something that a singer cannot improve on with more lessons and technique. The vocal cords and the surrounding ‘soundboard’ are what they are. They are personal. If a flautist sounds poor, it can be attributed to the flute. If a singer sounds poor, he or she cannot be blamed for anything but himself.

The upshot of these introductory observations is clear: Lucia Caihuela’s voice is beautiful in every aspect: with perfect intonation, a fully developed sound profile, unmistakably emotionally mature and, not least, technically brilliant. We will perhaps never know how a castrato would have performed these baroque arias, but there is no doubt in my mind that Lucia is hard to beat in this type of music. This is a real boon for anyone’s collection. For the greater part, a hardly known repertoire sung by a top Mezzo-Soprano. And that is not all.

The liner notes are entitled: “A Small Box of Emotions”, which is, from a factual point, correct, but short as the pieces are, the larger is the listening pleasure. Not that all of the selected passionate delicacies meet the same high standard, but with the superb support of 22 members of La Madrileña Period Instrument Orchestra, under the inspiring baton of José Antonio Montaño, the emotions run high. Delving into my memory for comparison, I find them as good as any of the period formations people rave about.

After listening for 56 minutes and 36 seconds, the soloist and the musicians left me with an unexpected sense of contentment. And what is more, the sound quality allowed me to play full throttle without hurting my ears. What else can one wish for?

Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France.

Copyright © 2026 Adrian Quanjer and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):