Oreste ('Orestes') (HG 48/102, HWV A11) is an opera by George Frideric Handel in three acts. The libretto was anonymously adapted from Giangualberto Barlocci’s L’Oreste (1723, Rome), which was in turn adapted from Euripides' Iphigeneia in Tauris. George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-born British Baroque composer who was a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas and oratorios. ... In theater, an act (noun) is a short performance that is part of a longer program. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... A statue of Euripides Euripides (Greek: Ευριπίδης) (c. ... Iphigeneia in Tauris (in Greek: ) is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written sometime between 414 BC and 412 BC. It bears much in common with another of Euripides plays, Helen, and is often described as a romance, a melodrama, or an escape play. ...

The opera is a pasticcio (pastiche), meaning that it was cobbled together from earlier works, mainly other operas and cantatas also by Handel. The recitatives and dances are the only parts composed specifically for this work. The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... A cantata (Italian, sung) is a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words. ... Dance as a musical form is a smaller musical composition intended for the presentation of dance. ...

The opera is in Italian, although it was written and performed in England. The lead role was written for the castrato Giovanni Carestini. It is now performed by either a countertenor or soprano. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity. ... Giovanni Carestini (circa 1705 — circa 1759) was an Italian castrato opera singer. ... A countertenor is an adult male who sings in an alto or soprano range, often through use of falsetto. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Performance history

The opera was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on December 18, 1734. The work was only performed three times in Handel's lifetime, having received a poor reception, and was first revived in 1988. The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is a performing arts venue in London. ... In the Gregorian Calendar, December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years), at which point there will be 13 days remaining to the end of the year. ... Events January 8 - Premiere of George Frideric Handels opera Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. ...

Singers

• Oreste - mezzo-soprano castrato
• Iphigenia - soprano
• Hermione - soprano
• Pylades - tenor
• Philoctetes - contralto
• Thoas - bass

The Remorse of Orestes by William-Adolphe Bouguereau For other uses, see Orestes (disambiguation). ... 112 Iphigenia is an asteroid. ... Hermione may refer to: A daughter of Menelaus and Helen in Greek mythology; see Hermione (mythology). ... Pylades and Orestes by Francois Bouchot In Greek mythology, Pylades is the son of King Strophius of Phocis and is mostly known for his strong friendship with Orestes. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice. ... In Greek mythology, Philoctetes (also Philoktêtês or Philocthetes, Φιλοκτήτης) was the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... Thoas, son of Andraimon, was one of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War. ... Bass (IPA: [], rhyming with face), when used as an adjective, describes tones of low frequency. ...

Reference

Anthony Hicks. "Oreste", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed April 2, 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2001 The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians, considered by most scholars to be the best general reference source on the subject in the English language. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...