The Swiss actor Robert Hunger-Bühler falls well on the ear, respecting the metre, declaiming with passion in the context of a live performance, yet without venturing to the melodramatic extremes of John Malkovich on a recent period-instrument production…Eduard Wesly’s oboe deserves special praise, but so does the four-strong horn section, and Häkkinen’s own discreet fortepiano continuo.

The Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, on period instruments, delivers an excellent performance: they play with spirit, accuracy and all-out commitment... Conductor Aapo Häkkinen consistently shapes the score to capture effectively just about every aspect of the music’s drama.