This year marks the tercentenary of the birth of Neapolitan composer Niccolò Jommelli, best known for a series of operas that make such fearsome demands on their performers that their outings are few and far between. This disc breaks new ground in gathering together four of his chamber cantatas for soprano, strings and harpsichord. We know next to nothing about their genesis except that they pre-date 1753, when Jommelli decided to base himself in northern Europe. Like the operas, they place virtuosity at the service of emotional veracity, and Cuban soprano Yetzabel Arias Fernández sings them with considerable dexterity and an attractively gleaming tone. It seems churlish, given her technical expertise, to complain about her diction, but we could do with more of the words, particularly in the recitatives. Stile Galante, under Stefano Aresi, are impeccable accompanists.
