Unlike JS Bach, who hardly ever went outside the central German towns where his family worked, Handel was a cosmopolitan who travelled widely and settled in England. Crucial to his development was a journey to Italy in 1707, where he wrote for cardinals and courts. London Early Opera’s new project gets off to an odd start, with the Gloria discovered in 2001, which may not actually date from the Italian years, but no one is going to object when it is so dazzlingly sung by Sophie Bevan. Other members of the remarkable Bevan family clan match her: soprano Mary contributes arias from opera and oratorio, while baritone Benjamin offers a fine cantata.
