The last time I saw Rodelinda was seven years ago in Bilbao at a concert which was also conducted by Alan Curtis with Il Complesso Barocco. The artistic result then was significantly poorer than this one in Madrid and the main reason for the improvement was the difference in quality between the two vocal casts. I always considered Alan Curtis an important musicologist, even though he has never quite matched the supreme quality of some of his better known colleagues as a conductor in the baroque repertoire. This time however, he offered a significantly better reading than seven years ago, especially in the opera's second half. Mr Curtis is not a conductor given to spectacular gestures, and I though that he was much better off on the podium in Madrid than seated at the harpsichord, as he was in Bilbao. Having said this though, there is no doubt at all that Il Complesso Barocco is one of the best baroque instrumental ensembles around today and it is clear that Mr. Curtis is responsible for a large part of the group's quality. The vocal cast chosen for this tour was particularly well chosen too and even brilliant -- still more evidence of Alan Curtis's artistic abilities. The Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin sang Rodelinda and I consider her to be one of the most interesting sopranos currently available for this genre. Hers is a very attractive soprano, very homogenous and absolutely outstanding at the most intimate arias, though perhaps just a little