The best reason to buy this box-set? It contains recordings not found elsewhere. The only recording of Handel's Lotario is out-of-print and the third party seller is charging more than this box's worth. Another opera "Alessandro" is simply unavailable here. (Currently, it's available at Amazon's DE site for almost 200 Euros!) Furthermore, Kuijken's Partenope is probably still the better of the 2 available recordings. These 3 operas alone makes this box compulsory buy for any die-hard Handel fans. Other CDs in this box for various reasons are mostly out-of-print anyway.
However, the other 5 operas featured here faces strong competition from newer, more complete and perhaps better recordings. Furthermore, the booklet in the box contains only brief synopses. NO LIBRETTI!


Contents:

file 1. Rinaldo, 3 CDs
Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy
Carolyn Watkinson: Mezzo-Soprano (Rinaldo)
Paul Esswood: Contralto (Goffredo)
Charles Brett: Contralto (Eustazio)

file 2. Giulio Cesare, 2 CDs
Julius Rudel, New York City Opera
Beverly Sills: Soprano (Cleopatra)
Beverly Wolff: Mezzo-Soprano (Sextus)
Maureen Forrester: Contralto (Cornelia)

file 3. Tamerlano, 3 CDs
Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy
Mieke van der Sluis: Soprano (Asteria)
Isabelle Poulenard: Soprano (Irene)
Henri Ledroit: Countertenor (Tamerlano)

file 4. Rodelinda, 3 CDs
Michael Schneider, La Stagione
Barbara Schlick: Soprano (Rodelinda)
Claudia Schubert: Alto (Eduige)
David Cordier: Countertenor (Bertarido)

file 5. Alessandro, 3 CDs
Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande
Sophie Boulin: Soprano (Rossane)
Isabelle Poulenard: Soprano (Lisaura)
Ria Bollen: Contralto (Cleone)


file 6. Lotario, 2 CDs
Alan Curtis, Il Compresso Barocco
Simone Kermes: Adelaide, Soprano
Sara Mingardo: Lotario, Contralto
Hilary Summers: Idelberto, Contralto

file 7. Partenope, 3 CDs
Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande
Krisztina Laki: Partenope, Soprano
Rosmira: Helga Muller Molinari, Contralto
Arsace:Rene Jacobs, Contralto

file 8. Serse, 3 CDs
Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy
Carolyn Watkinson: Serse, mezzo-soprano
Paul Esswood: Arsamene, countertenor
Ortrun Wenkel: Amastre, contralto
Barbara Hendricks: Romilda, soprano