Händel: Rinaldo

Carlo Vistoli, more Handelian than ever, fully understands the title role – martial, virile, and tender – and has the superlative means to express these feelings: a prodigious technique (his ease in vocalizations and the most pyrotechnic flourishes), the widest range, rare projection and power for a countertenor, and above all, a quality of elocution and real acting talent. Although his elegiac entrance aria is not the most suitable for demonstrations, like the emotional “Cara sposa, amante cara,” which well conveys the hero’s anguish at the kidnapping of Almirena, of which he was an impotent witness, the furious “Venti turbini” is fabulously virtuosic, with Thibault Noally’s solo violin dazzling us as much as the voice. The enchantment continues after the last notes of “Or la tromba in suon festante,” whose brilliance and virtuosic ornamentation fascinate.

— Yvan Beuvard, Forumopera.com

Carlo Vistoli continuously shines in the role of Rinaldo. There is the disconcerting clarity of diction, the evident simplicity of melodic development from instrumental components, which he intercepts on the fly to blend in medias res. His vocal journey traverses all the mental stations of the character, constantly exploring beyond representation. He sustains the notes, revisits and magnifies them, and does the same with his intentions, always in motion, with notes of intact intensity in octave jumps and variations!

— Thibault Vicq, Opera Online

In the title role, the charm of countertenor Carlo Vistoli visibly affects the audience from beginning to end. The voice stands out with its assertive bel canto vocabulary, but its virtuosity certainly does not obscure the most accomplished sentiment. His charisma asserts itself in both bravura arias and more harmonious ones. And his very presence, with his natural charm and smile, brings an undeniable plus to the role.

— José Pons, Ôlyrix