Operas by George Frideric Handel

Almira (1705) Florindo (1708) Rodrigo (1707) Agrippina (1709) Rinaldo (1711) Il pastor fido (1712) Teseo (1713) Amadigi di Gaula (1715) Acis and Galatea (1718) Radamisto (1720) Muzio Scevola (1721) Floridante (1721) Ottone (1723) Flavio (1723) Giulio Cesare (1724) Tamerlano (1724) Rodelinda (1725) Scipione (1726) Alessandro (1726) Admeto (1727) Riccardo Primo (1727) Siroe (1728) Tolomeo (1728) Lotario (1729) Partenope (1730) Poro (1731) Ezio (1732) Sosarme (1732) Orlando (1733) Arianna in Creta (1734) Oreste (1734) Ariodante (1735) Alcina (1735) Atalanta (1736) Arminio (1737) Giustino (1737) Berenice (1737) Alessandro Severo (1738) Faramondo (1738) Serse (1738) Giove in Argo (1739) Imeneo (1740) Deidamia (1741) Semele (1744) George Frideric Handel, 1733 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. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... “Der in Krohnen erlangte Glückswechsel”, or “Almira, Königin von Castilien” (HWV 1), is George Frideric Handels first opera. ... Der beglückte Florindo is an opera composed by Handel in Hamburg in 1708 as part of a double opera, the other part being Die verwandelte Daphne. ... Opera in three acts by Handel. ... Agrippina is an opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Opera in three acts by Handel written in 1712. ... Theseus. ... Amadigi di Gaula is an opera based on the story of Amadis and Dardanus by George Frideric Handel. ... Acis and Galatea is a pastoral opera or masque composed by George Frideric Handel while he was living in Cannons (the seat of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, during the summer of 1718, and later revised and expanded to three acts in 1732, to words by John Gay, Alexander... Radamisto is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Niccola Francesco Haym, based on Lamor tirranico by Domenico Lalli and Zenobia by Matteo Noris. ... Muzio Scevola (Mucius Scaevola) is an opera in three acts. ... Floridante (HWV 14) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Ottone, de di Germania (Otho, King of Germany) is a opera by Handel composed in 1723. ... Please do not edit yet. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... One of Handels greatest operas composed in a year in which two more great operas were composed by him. ... Rodelinda is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Opera composed by Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1726. ... Alessandro (Alexander the Great). ... Admeto. ... Riccardo Primo, re dInghilterra (Richard I, King of England). ... Siroe, re di Persia (or Siroes, King of Persia) is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Tolomeo, re di Eggito (Ptolemy, King of Egypt). ... Lotario (Lothair) (HWV 26) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Opera by George Frideric Handel composed in 1730. ... Poro, re dellIndie (or Porus, King of the Indians) (HWV 28) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Ezio (Aetius) is an opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Sosarme, de di Media (meaning Sosarmes, King of Media) is an opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Handel opera composed in 1733. ... Arianna in Creta (Ariadne in Crete) (HWV 32) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Oreste (Orestes) (HG 48/102, HWV A11) is an opera by George Frideric Handel in three acts. ... Ariodante is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Alcina is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel for his first season at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Opera in Three Acts by Handel composed in 1736. ... An almost entirely unknown opera by Handel composed in 1736. ... Justin. ... Berenice, regina dEgitto (Bernice, Queen of Egypt). ... Alexander Severus. ... Faramondo is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel in 1738. ... Serse (also known as Xerxes) is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Giove in Argo (or Jupiter in Argos) (HWV A14) is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Imeneo (Hymen) (HWV 41) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. ... Handels last opera composed in 1741. ... Semele is a secular oratorio by George Frideric Handel. ...

Rinaldo is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, now a part of the standard operatic repertoire. The Italian libretto was written by Giacomo Rossi based on episodes of Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata ("Jerusalem Delivered"). It is a heroic story of battle and love set in the time of the First Crusade (1096–1099). The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... George Frideric Handel, 1733 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. ... Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Jerusalem Delivered (La Gerusalemme liberata) 1580) is a baroque epic poem by Torquato Tasso which tells the (largely fictionalized) story of the First Crusade in which Christians knights, lead by Godfrey of Bouillon, battle Muslims in order to raise the siege of Jerusalem. ...

History

Rinaldo was the first opera Handel produced for London and the first Italian opera composed specifically for the London stage. It was first performed in Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket on 24 February 1711. It was a great success thanks in part to the participation of two of the leading castrati of the era, Nicolo Grimaldi and Valentino Urbani. The strains of financing its grand production, however, resulted in liens from the unpaid craftsmen, and the Lord Chamberlain's office revoked the impresarion Aaron Hill's license nine days after the opening of Rinaldo.^[1] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Haymarket is a street in the St Jamess district of the City of Westminister in London, England. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1711 (MDCCXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... 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. ... Nicola Francesco Leonardo Grimaldi (b Naples, bap. ... An 18th-century caricature of Urbani. ... The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State. ... Aaron Hill is also a professional baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays, and a character in the Luann comic strip. ...

The pastoral idyll of the plot (Armida's hate for the crusaders turned into love for one crusader, Rinaldo) appealed to many Baroque artists. The libretto was initially written in some form by Aaron Hill, who had taken up the management of the Queen's Theatre for the season 1710-11, and translated into Italian by Rossi, as opera seria in any other language was unthinkable on the London stage. The extent of Hill's involvement is disputed: in modern terms it might be said that he provided the "treatment" of Tasso's poem. Hill provided a preface to the published libretto, outlining his artistic purposes, which were to add to recently-heard imported Italian operas, which, however, had been "compos’d for Tastes and Voices, different from those who were to sing and hear them on the English Stage" and to provide the features that London audiences had come to expect "the Machines and Decorations, which bestow so great a Beauty on their Appearance", which had their London origins in the Restoration spectaculars, or "machine plays". He hoped therefore "to fill the eye with more delightful Prospects, so to give Two Senses equal pleasure’". Anthony Hicks writes, "In essence he wanted to re-create the spectacular stage effects which had been a feature of the semi-operas of the previous decade (notably Purcell’s King Arthur) while allowing the music to take the new Italian form dominated by solo arias connected by recitative."^[2] Aaron Hill is also a professional baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays, and a character in the Luann comic strip. ... Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and serious style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1720s to ca 1770. ... A treatment or more properly film treatment is a short piece of prose intended to be turned into a screenplay for a motion picture. ... Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and serious style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1720s to ca 1770. ... This naval battle was one of the sets for Elkanah Settles Empress of Morocco (1673) at the theatre in Dorset Garden. ... Semi-opera is an early form of opera. ... Purcell is a family name in English. ... Henry Purcell 1659 - 1695 John Dryden 1631 - 1700 King Arthur, subtitled The British Worthy, is an opera of five acts, it was first performed at the Queens Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, in early summer of 1691. ...

Roles

• Rinaldo - castrato (first performed by Nicolo Grimaldi)
• Eustazio - castrato (first performed by Valentino Urbani)
• Armida - soprano (first performed by Elisabetta Pilotti-Schiavonetti)
• Almirena - soprano (first performed by Isabella Girardeau)
• Goffredo - contralto (trouser role - first performed by Francesca Vanini-Boschi)
• Argante - bass (first performed by Giuseppe Boschi)
• Magician - castrato (first performed by Giuseppe Cassani)

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. ... 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. ... This article is about the singing voice part. ... This article is about the singing voice part. ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... A bass (or basso in Italian) is a male singer who sings in the deepest vocal range of the human voice. ... 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. ...

Synopsis

At the time of the First Crusade, forces led by Goffredo (Godfrey of Bouillon) are laying siege on Jerusalem which is under the rule of the Saracen king Argante. Aiding Goffredo are his brother Eustazio and Goffredo's daughter Almirena, who is in love with the knight Rinaldo. But Rinaldo is taken hostage by Armida, Argante's ally, who is the Queen of Damascus and a powerful enchantress. Combatants Christendom, Catholicism West European Christians, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Seljuks, Arabs and other Muslims The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of destroying the peaceful Islamic civilizations and confirming the barbaric nature of European society. ... Godfrey of Bouillon, from a tapestry painted in 1420 Godfrey of Bouillon (c. ...

Act I

The Christian camp outside the gates of Jerusalem. Rinaldo, a knight, reminds Goffredo, the captain general of the Crusade force, that Goffredo promised him the hand of his daughter Almirena, if the city is conquered. Armida, Queen of Damascus, enchantress and mistress of Argante, the Saracen king of Jerusalem, arrives in a fiery chariot and tells him that they will only conquer the city if Rinaldo is detached from the Christian army. In a grove, Almirena and Rinaldo affirm their love. Armida leads Almirena away. When Rinaldo resists, the women are carried away in a black cloud and Rinaldo is devastated. Goffredo and his brother Eustazio enter and the latter advises consulting a hermit to defeat Armida. Rinaldo calls on tempests to help him.

Act II

On a seashore, amid mermaids, Rinaldo and Goffredo complain about how far they must travel to find the hermit. Eustazio tells them they are close to their destination. Rinaldo is lured into a boat by a spirit in the form of a lovely woman who tells him Almirena has sent her. His companions are unable to prevent him entering the boat. In Armida's enchanted palace garden, Argante makes advances to Almirena, saying he can prove his love by breaking Armida's spell. She pleads to be left alone. Armida is pleased at Rinaldo's capture and offers him her love. When he refuses, she changes her appearance to that of Almirena. Taken in at first, he is furious when the deception is revealed. On Argante's arrival, she again changes her appearance which only exposes his affection for Almirena. She calls for revenge.

Act III

Rinaldo and Armida by Francois Boucher, 1734 (Louvre Museum)

The hermit's cave at the bottom of a mountain with a palace at the top. The hermit-magician tells Goffredo and Eustazio that Rinaldo and Almirena are prisoners in the palace. The Christians' first attempt to release them is repelled by 'ugly' spirits, they escape back to the cave and the magician gives them special wands to conquer witchcraft. They strike the palace gates, the mountain disappears, leaving Goffredo and Eustazio clinging to the sides of a huge rock in the middle of the sea. Armida tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo draws his sword but is restrained by spirits. His companions arrive and use their wands to transform the garden into the area near the city gate at Jerusalem. They are reunited with Rinaldo. Armida again tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo attacks her and she vanishes. Argante and Armida are reconciled. The armies prepare to fight. The Christians win, thanks to Rinaldo. Argante and Armida are captured and profess the Christian faith. Almirena and Rinaldo are united. Download high resolution version (868x716, 126 KB)Rinaldo and Armida, by Francois Boucher, 1734; this painting gained Boucher entrance to the Academie (Louvre Museum) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (868x716, 126 KB)Rinaldo and Armida, by Francois Boucher, 1734; this painting gained Boucher entrance to the Academie (Louvre Museum) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Rinaldo and Armida gained Bouchers admission to the Académie royale François Boucher (1703 in Bordeaux - May 30, 1770) was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, and several... The main courtyard of the Louvre. ...

Notable arias

• "Lascia ch'io pianga" - Rinaldo
• "Venti, turbini, prestate" - Rinaldo
• "Or la tromba" - Rinaldo
• "Cara sposa" - Rinaldo

Lascia ch'io pianga

Rinaldo today

Like Handel's other operas, Rinaldo fell into oblivion for two hundred years. However, starting in the 1970s, it has been revived regularly and has become part of the standard operatic repertoire. Several arias from this opera, such as "Lascia ch'io pianga" and "Cara sposa", have become recitalists' favorites.

The roles originally written for castrati are nowadays performed either by women in "trouser roles" or by countertenors. A Countertenor is an adult male singer who uses the falsetto part of his voice more than usual to sing a higher range than the typical adult male voice. ...

There are a several recordings of the entire opera and it is regularly performed. In 1984, a production directed by Frank Corsaro of Rinaldo with mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne in the title role at the Metropolitan Opera, the first Handel opera ever performed at the Met. In more recent years, the opera has been revived for the countertenor David Daniels, who also participated in a complete recording of it as Rinaldo with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli as Almirena, Christopher Hogwood conducting the Academy of Ancient Music. Frank Corsaro (born December 22, 1924, in New York City) is one of Americas foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... Marilyn Horne The American opera singer Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is a mezzo soprano who is particularly associated with the music of Rossini and Handel. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... A countertenor is an adult male who sings in an alto, mezzo or soprano range, often through use of falsetto, or sometimes natural head voice. ... David Daniels as Nerone in Monteverdis LIncoronazione di Poppea The American singer David Daniels (born 12 March 1966) is one of the best-known and highly regarded countertenors in modern operatic history. ... Cecilia Bartoli The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli (born 4 June 1966) is a popular opera singer and recitalist. ... Christopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood CBE (born 10 September 1941) is an English conductor, harpsichordist, writer and scholar of music. ... Johann Christoph Pepusch Giovanni Battista Bononcini Francesco Geminiani Bernard Gates Maurice Greene The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a period-instrument orchestra based in London, re-founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973 and named after an original organisation of the 18th century. ...

Notes