Alden's approach is lightly ironic, matching well with a piece that treats its material with a knowing air...Ivor Bolton and Concerto Koln provide the expert musical underpinning. Sally Matthews shines as a vocally and physically poised Deidamia, Olga Pasichnyk emphasises the lusty young man hiding beneath Achille's skirts, and Silvia Tro Santafe's Ulisse presents him with a credible rival.

David Alden's jokey, modern-dress production is entertaining without quite persuading one that the opera's neglect is undeserved...Sally Matthews is perfect as Deidamia: saucy in 'Nasconde l'usignol', heartfelt in 'M'hai resa infelice'...Ivor Bolton conducts with passion: splendid sforzandos in another intense aria, 'Se il timore'.

the performance is magnificent. Sally [Matthews] encompasses all the aspects of Deidamia with ease and confidence...Olga Pasichnyk is a delightfully tomboyish Achilles...this is a production that will gladden the heart of any Handelian, who may well be unfamiliar with a score that deserves far more attention than it has hitherto received

David Alden’s splendid production of Deidamia is a joy. His witty update of Handel’s last opera captures its bitter-sweet blend of irony and heartbreak, and features a stellar performance from Sally Matthews, whose portrayal of Deidamia, as she passes from innocence to the disillusion and fury of ‘M’hai resa infelice’, is intensely moving.