Work by Handel performed by A Far Cry with Amanda Forsythe, soprano on November 16, 2014 and work by Beethoven performed by Borromeo String Quartet on October 24, 2010.Handel: Armida abbandonata, HWV 105Beethoven: Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95Armida abbandonata, a setting of the famous Italian story, detailing the grief of the sorceress Armida at being abandoned by her lover Rinaldo, a waylaid soldier. In the final aria, she prays to the god of love to pity her, and help her forget her former lover. We’ll hear the piece sung by soprano Amanda Forsythe, with the chamber orchestra A Far Cry.Then we move to Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, often referred to as the “Serioso” quartet—the composer’s own subtitle. The piece sounds troubled from the start, ferocious and full of intensity, with jagged themes and plenty of dissonance. It continues that way for most of its length, until the storm clouds unexpectedly part at the very end, and a ray of hope shines through in the last few minutes of the finale.We begin with Amanda Forsythe, singing Handel’s cantata Armida abbandonata.