Listen to this for: more love for Hasse

The Romanian Sabadus is the youngest of Team Artaserse: born in 1986, he was only 26 when he took on the role of Semira. He has a remarkably distinctive voice: richer than Jaroussky’s and considerably higher-pitched than Cencic’s, with something of a thrush-like warble (yes: see me, with my lack of musical vocabulary, clutching at metaphors). He took on the challenge of championing Hasse two years before Cencic; and his album tends towards more delicate, introspective pieces, which allow his voice to do what it does best: soar to simply ethereal heights. The opening aria, Tu mi disarmi il fianco from Hasse’s Didone abbandonata, is lovely, but my favourite track is the beautiful Bei labbri che Amore from a cantata called La gelosia. It’s an angelic, thoroughly gorgeous tone. Compare this with his performances as a stunning Semira in Artaserse, an imperious Marzia in Catone in Utica, a swaggering Xerxes and a rather fragile Nerone. Since in real life he has rakish, brooding good looks to go with that lovely voice, I think he’s going to do very well.

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