List of operas by Handel

The opera house in the Haymarket—first known as the Queen's Theatre and then later as the King's Theatre—where many of Handel's works were first performed. Illustration by William Capon.

George Frideric Handel's operas comprise 42 musical dramas that were written between 1705 and 1741 in various genres. He began composing operas in Germany and then for a brief time in Italy to modest success. It was not until he moved to England that he found great success in the genre. His first opera in England, Rinaldo (1711), was met with enthusiasm, and several more Italian operas soon followed. However, Handel's place as the central figure of opera in England during the eighteenth century was not solidified until, under the influence of Thomas Arne, he began composing large-scale works with English language texts. Though almost all his English language works are technically oratorios and not operas, several of them, such as Semele (1743), have become an important part of the opera repertoire. Handel's first opera (opera seria - serious Italian opera) was Almira (1705).

During the 36 years in which Italian opera was his principal concern, Handel adhered closely to the typical form of the era, determined by the precedence given to solo singing and to stage presentation in which set changes were made in front of the audience and the curtain not lowered until the work's conclusion. Recitatives preceded solo arias, usually in da capo form (though frequently with an abridged return to the chief section), dominate the operas, and scenes are normally devised to start with several characters on stage, each of whom sings an aria and then exits. The last scene typically concludes with a coro sung by the soloists; ensembles are otherwise atypical and mainly limited to scenes of communal celebration; only "Dall’orror" in Act 3 of Alcina (1735) reaches the depth of the choruses in the English choral works. Handel’s operas therefore seem to be highly similar to those of his contemporaries; what makes them unique is the brilliance of the music which skilfully conveys with instant fervor the emotional states of the characters within the context of the drama.

Overview

First edition of Handel's Giulio Cesare (1724)

Handel's earlier operas tended to be of a lighter nature, although there are intermittent moments, such as the prison scene from Almira (1705), which are highly dramatic. Handel's music for his first operas in England was often derived from musical ideas and idioms found in his cantatas and other works written during his time spent in Italy (1706–09). For example, the characteristic harmonic structure of Agrippina (1709) is obviously a retention of material from this Italian period. In general, the orchestrations of Handel's earlier operas tended to be richer and smoother than in his later works, utilizing additional instruments like bassoons to achieve different tone colours. The music for Rinaldo (1711) notably used four trumpets, an instrumental choice that Handel never repeated elsewhere.

Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) whose epic poem Orlando Furioso was the source for Handel's operas Orlando, Alcina, and Ariodante.

Beginning with Ottone (1722), Handel composed numerous operas for the Royal Academy of Music during the 1720s. With the exception of Flavio (1723), the operas from this period are more serious in tone and the musical expression is more astutely aligned to the opera's drama than in his earlier operas. Of particular importance from this period is Giulio Cesare (1724), which contains one of Handel's most expansive and emotively powerful scores. The sumptuous music and deft characterizations found in this work has made it one of the more frequently revived Handel operas during the 20th and 21st centuries. Also of note are Tamerlano (1724) and Rodelinda (1725) which have particularly striking leading tenor roles that Handel wrote specifically for Francesco Borosini. The later operas that Handel wrote for the Academy were not as successful as his earlier ones. The two major sopranos at the Academy, Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni, were intensely competitive, and Handel had to cater to them both equally in these latter Academy operas. With the exception of Admeto (1727), the attempt at balancing two leading soprano roles within an individual opera proved to hinder the work both musically and dramatically.

During the 1730s, Handel returned to writing operas of a comic and fantastic or heroic nature, largely because he no longer had to cater to the tastes of the Academy when choosing librettos. These works, such as Partenope (1730), Orlando (1733) and Alcina (1735), were influenced by the operas of Leonardo Vinci and Leonardo Leo and are written in a pre-classical manner. During this period, Handel began to more frequently utilize the scena in his works, and by the mid-1730s he was writing some of his most dramatically moving arias, such as the mad scene of Orlando and the end of Act 2 of Alcina. The size of the orchestras for these works was also larger, with Handel typically employing 12 violins, 8 violas, 6 cellos, 4 double basses, and two harpsichords in addition to four bassoons and a number of other wind instruments. In operas like Oreste (1734), Handel attempted to synthesize Italian opera with French opera in the sequences of dances and choruses, but made no further experimentation in this area outside of the operas of 1734 and 1735. Two of the operas from this period, Ariodante (1735) and Atalanta (1736), were a departure from the traditionally heroic librettos used by Handel, adopting a more realistic romantic intimacy.

By the late 1730s, Handel's attention was increasingly diverted away from composing operas and was much more focused on the English oratorio. A number of his operas from 1737 on lack the brilliance of his earlier works, most likely due to this shift in focus. Nevertheless, his operas Giustino (1737) and Serse (1738) contain some very fine music. Serse is also notable for successfully mixing comedy and poignant tragedy into a masterfully crafted plot, a development repeated less successfully in Imeneo (1740). Handel's last Italian opera, Deidamia, was produced in 1741 and was not received very well as England's taste for Italian opera had waned. Handel returned one more time to theatre music for the semi-opera Alceste in 1750.

List of works

The following is a complete list of Handel's operatic works. All are opera seria in three acts, unless otherwise stated.

HWVTitleLibrettoPremière datePremière place, theatreModern revivalNotes
1Almira (Der in Krohnen erlangte Glücks-Wechsel, oder: Alimira, Königin von Castilien)FeustkingFriedrich Christian Feustking, after Giulio Pancieri1705-01-088 January 1705Hamburg, Theater am Gänsemarkt1994-06-054 June 1994, Handel Festival, Bad LauchstädtSome music lost; announced as a Singspiel but has no spoken dialogue
2Nero (Die durch Blut und Mord erlangete Liebe)FeustkingFriedrich Christian Feustking1705-02-2525 February 1705Hamburg, Theater am Gänsemarkt Music lost
3Florindo (Der beglückte Florindo)HinschHinrich Hinsch1708-01-01January 1708Hamburg, Theater am Gänsemarkt Almost all of the music is lost
4Daphne (Die verwandelte Daphne)HinschHinrich Hinsch1708-01-02January 1708Hamburg, Theater am Gänsemarkt A sequel to Florindo, intended to be performed on the day after it. Almost all of the music is lost
5Rodrigo (Vincer se stesso è la maggior vittoria)SilvaniAfter Francesco Silvani's II duello d'Amore e di Vendetta
Italian libretto
1707-11-00c, November 1707Florence, Teatro di via del Cocomero1984-00-001984, InnsbruckSome music is lost
6AgrippinaGrimaniVincenzo Grimani1709-12-2626 December 1709, early 1710Venice, Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo1943-00-001943, Halle 
7a/bRinaldoRossiGiacomo Rossi/Aaron Hill, after Tasso, La Gerusalemme liberata
Italian libretto
1711-02-2424 February 1711London, Queen's Theatre1954-06-00June 1954, Handel Festival, HalleHWV 7b is the 1731 revision; the libretto of a revision of 1717 also exists
8a/b/cPastor fidoIl pastor fidoRossiGiacomo Rossi, after Giovanni Battista Guarini
8b Italian libretto, 8c Italian libretto
1712-11-2222 November 1712London, Queen's Theatre1948-06-2020 June 1948, Handel Festival Göttingen (third, November 1734 version); 14 September 1971, Abingdon, (first, 1712 version)HWV 8c designates the version of May 1734 and its November revival. The prologue Terpsicore added to the November 1734 revival is 8b.
9TeseoHaymNicola Francesco Haym, after Philippe Quinault's libretto for Thésée
Italian libretto
1713-01-1010 January 1713London, Queen's Theatre1947-06-2929 June 1947, Handel Festival Göttingen5 acts
10SillaRossiGiacomo Rossi, after Plutarch's Life of Sulla
Italian libretto
1713-06-022 June 1713?London, Queen's Theatre? (or Burlington House?) Much of the music was re-used in Amadigi
11Amadigi di GaulaRossiHaymRossi or Haym (?), after Antoine Houdar de la Motte's Amadis de Grèce, 1699
Italian libretto
1715-05-2525 May 1715London, King's Theatre1929-00-00Osnabrück, 1929Various additions during the initial run and the revivals of 1716 and 1717
12a/bRadamistoHaymHaym (?), after Domenico Lalli's L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia
Italian libretto
1720-04-2727 April 1720London, King’s Theatre1927-06-2727 June 1927, Handel Festival GöttingenLibrettos of the revised versions of December 1720 and 1728 exist
13Muzio ScevolaRolliPaolo Antonio Rolli, after a reworking of a Nicolò Minato libretto by Silvio Stampiglia
Italian libretto
1721-04-1515 April 1721London, King’s Theatre1928-00-001928, Essen (Act 3 only)only Act 3 is by Handel
14FloridanteRolliRolli, after Francesco Silvani's La costanza in trionfo
Italian libretto
1721-12-099 December 1721London, King’s Theatre1962-05-1010 May 1962, Unicorn Theatre, AbingdonRevised versions premiered in 1722, 1727 and 1733
15OttoneHaymHaym, after Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino's libretto for Antonio Lotti's opera Teofane
Italian libretto
1723-01-1212 January 1723London, King’s Theatre1921-07-055 July 1921, Handel Festival GöttingenRevised versions premiered in 1726 and 1733
16FlavioHaymHaym, after M Noris's Il Flavio Cuniberto
Italian libretto
1723-05-1414 May 1723London, King’s Theatre1967-07-022 July 1967, Handel Festival GöttingenThe libretto of the revised version of 1732 exists
17Giulio CesareHaymHaym
Italian libretto
1724-02-2020 February 1724London, King’s Theatre1992-00-001922, Handel Festival Göttingen 
18TamerlanoHaymHaym, after Agostin Piovene and Nicholas Pradon
Italian libretto
1724-10-3131 October 1724London, King’s Theatre1924-09-077 September 1924, Karlsruhe 
19RodelindaHaymHaym, after Antonio Salvi, after Pierre Corneille's play Pertharite, roi des Lombards
Italian libretto
1725-02-1313 February 1725London, King’s Theatre1920-06-2626 June 1920, Handel Festival Göttingen 
20ScipioneRolliRolli
Italian libretto
1726-03-1212 March 1726London, King’s Theatre1937-00-001937, Handel Festival Göttingen 
21AlessandroMauroO Mauro
Italian libretto
1726-05-055 May 1726London, King’s Theatre1959-00-001959, Stuttgart (in German) 
22AdmetoHaymHaym
Italian libretto
1727-01-3131 January 1727London, King’s Theatre1964-00-001964, Abingdon 
23Riccardo PrimoRolliRolli, after Francesco Briani
Italian libretto
1727-11-1111 November 1727London, King’s Theatre1964-07-088 July 1964, Sadler's Wells Theatre (Handel Opera Society), London 
24SiroeHaymHaym, after Metastasio
Italian libretto
1728-02-1717 February 1728London, King’s Theatre1925-12-00December 1925, Gera 
25TolomeoHaymHaym, adapted from Carlo Sigismondo Capece
Italian libretto
1728-04-3030 April 1728London, King’s Theatre1938-06-1919 June 1938, Handel Festival Göttingen 
26LotarioSalviAfter Antonio Salvi
Italian libretto
1729-12-022 December 1729London, King’s Theatre1975-09-033 September 1975, Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames 
27PartenopeStampigliaAfter Silvio Stampiglia
Italian libretto
1730-02-2424 February 1730London, King’s Theatre1935-06-2323 June 1935, Handel Festival Göttingen 
28PoroMetastasioAfter Metastasio
Italian libretto
1731-02-022 February 1731London, King’s Theatre1928-00-001928, Braunschweig 
29EzioMetastasioMetastasio
Italian libretto
1732-01-1515 January 1732London, King’s Theatre1926-06-3030 June 1926, Handel Festival Göttingen 
30SosarmeSalviAfter Salvi
Italian libretto
1732-02-1515 February 1732London, King’s Theatre1970-00-001970, Abingdon 
31OrlandoCapeceAfter Capece, after Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso
Italian libretto
1733-01-2727 January 1733London, King’s Theatre1959-05-066 May 1959, Abingdon 
32Arianna in CretaPariatiAfter Pietro Pariati's Arianna e Teseo1734-01-2626 January 1734London, King’s Theatre  
A 11OresteBarlocciAfter Giangualberto Barlocci1734-12-1818 December 1734London, Covent Garden Theatre1990-00-001990, KarlsruhePasticcio
33AriodanteSalviAfter Salvi, after Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
Italian libretto
1735-01-088 January 1735London, Covent Garden Theatre  
34AlcinaAriostoAfter Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
Italian libretto
1735-04-1616 April 1735London, Covent Garden Theatre1928-00-001928, Leipzig 
35AtalantaValerianiAfter Belisario Valeriani
Italian libretto
1736-05-1212 May 1736London, Covent Garden Theatre1970-00-001970, Hintlesham Festival, Hintlesham 
36ArminioSalviAfter Salvi
Italian libretto
1737-01-1212 January 1737London, Covent Garden Theatre1935-02-2323 February 1935, Leipzig (in German) 
37GiustinoPariatiAdapted from Pariati's Giustino, after Nicolo Beregan's Il Giustino
Italian libretto
1737-02-1616 February 1737London, Covent Garden Theatre1963-04-2121 April 1963, Abingdon 
38BereniceSalviAfter Salvi1737-05-1818 May 1737London, Covent Garden Theatre  
39FaramondoZenoAdapted from Apostolo Zeno's Faramondo
Italian libretto
1738-01-033 January 1738London, King’s Theatre1976-03-055 March 1976, Handel Festival, Halle 
A 13Alessandro SeveroZenoAfter Apostolo Zeno1738-02-2525 February 1738London, King’s Theatre1997-03-1818 March 1997, Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music, LondonPasticcio
40SerseStampigliaAfter Stampiglia
Italian libretto
1738-04-1515 April 1738London, King’s Theatre1924-06-055 July 1924, Handel Festival GöttingenAlso known as Xerxes
A 14Giove in ArgoLucchiniAntonio Maria Lucchini1739-05-011 May 1739London, King’s Theatre2006-09-1515 September 2006, Markgräfliches Opernhaus, BayreuthPasticcio
41ImeneoStampigliaAfter Stampiglia's Imeneo1740-11-2222 November 1740London, theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields1960-03-1313 March 1960, Handel Festival, Halle 
42DeidamiaRolliRolli
Italian libretto
1741-01-1010 January 1741London, theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields  
49Acis and GalateaGayJohn Gay, drawing on John Dryden's translation of "The Story of Acis, Polyphemus and Galatea" from Ovid's Metamorphoses1718-00-001718Cannons, Little Stanmore Variously described as a serenata, a masque, a pastoral opera, a "little opera" (by the composer), an entertainment, and an oratorio

See also

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.