“EIGHTEENTH CENTURY BEL-CANTO”: Elly Ameling, soprano; Gewandhaus...

“EIGHTEENTH CENTURY BEL-CANTO”: Elly Ameling, soprano; Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig conducted by Kurt Masur. Philips 412 233-2 (compact disc). In this enchanting collection of 10 arias, Ameling’s impeccable stylistic attack and emotional candor compensate for the inherent lack of color in her instrument. Where a composer calls for gentle ravishment or reflective melancholy, Ameling strides the centuries with tasteful ornamentation and stunning dynamic variety. Where the score demands a more profound response (as in Dido’s Farewell, or in an aria from Vivaldi’s “Juditha Triumphans”), the results seem undernourished. In this material, a modern orchestra with harpsichord and modern obbligato forces should place the listener in a stylistic time warp, but Masur stresses vibrant attacks and buoyant rhythms and makes it all very palatable.