Premiered in 1732, Sosarme is a shrimp little bit of a sleeper among Handel’s frail operas, with handiest Anthony Lewis’s 1954 recording in the fresh catalogue. That’s a shame, as it possesses emotional depth as smartly as a swag of memorable arias. Contemporary audiences gave it a warm welcome, though the composer’s last-minute try to steer sure of a diplomatic faux pas by switching settings from medieval Portugal to legendary Lydia hasn’t helped its reputation.

This evenly sprung efficiency from Opéra Royal de Versailles below conductor Marco Angioloni goes one way to rehabilitating the work, even if the engineered sound and edgy string tone are a shrimp in-your-face. Rémy Brès-Feuillet is honey-toned in the title position, before everything a automotive for the huge contralto castrato Senesino, with Sarah Charles suitably soubrettish as his beloved Elmira.

Doubling as vocalist, Angioloni devours a large deal of scenery as the rancorous king of Lydia alongside brilliant performances from Nicolò Balducci as his rebellious son and Éléonore Pancrazi as his hapless spouse. Crowning the space as the duplicitous counsellor Altomaro is young Italian bass Giacomo Nanni. His sonorous story of “Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori”, a conventional case of Handel repurposing an earlier hit, unearths a snort of impressive suppleness and energy.