| A | B |
|---|
| George Frideric Handel | (1685-1759) Moved a lot= Gained international renown during his lifetime (unlike a lot of the other greats) and was thus the first composer whose music has never ceased to be performed (was performed during his lifetime as well) |
| Handel and his patrons | Although got greatest fame writing music for public performance, he was no freelancer= He always enjoyed generous support of patrons (their wishes often influenced what he composed) but their support allowed him to write for the public |
| Marquis Francesco Ruspoli | Was Handel's chief patron in Italy |
| Handel: Court music director for the elector of Hanover in north central Germany | Used this position to establish himself in london (since the elector was heir to British throne)= Spent 1710-11 season in London, drawing his Hanover salary while he wrote "RINALDO" for the Queen's Theatre, the new public opera house |
| Handel: Most important patrons | Were the British monarchs= 1713, Queen Anne commissioned many ceremonial choral works, including a "Te Deum" and "Ode for Queen Anne's Birthday", for which Handel took Purcell's compositions as his model= Each successor of the throne that employed him kept increasing his salary...so he could always write music and not worry bout money= However, while Handel was closely identified with the royal house, most of his activities were in the public sphere, writing and producing operas and later oratorios and composing for publication |
| Operas: International Style; German | Handel's blending of national styles is evident from his first opera, "Almira" (1705)= Kept to the local fashion of setting the arias in Italian and the recitatives in German, so audience could follow the plot= Imitating Reinhard Keiser, the dominant opera composer in Hamburg, Handel patterned the overture and dance music after French models, composed most of the arias in the Italian, and incorporated German elements in the counterpoint and orchestration |
| Operas: International Style; Italy | In Italy, he learned from Scarlatti's cantatas and operas how to create supple, long-breathed, rhythmically varied melodies that seem naturally suited for the voice, amply demonstrated in Handel's "Agrippina" (Venice, 1709) |
| Rinaldo | (Opera by Handel, 1711) Was first Italian opera composed for London= The music, combined with elaborate stage effects, bade it a sensation and helped establish Handel's public reputation in England |
| Royal Academy of Music | Name of the joint stock company for producing Italian operas founded in 1718019 by 60 wealthy gentlemen with the support of the king= The operas were staged at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket= Handel was engaged as the music director= Handel traveled around Europe to get performers/etc.= Got the very popular castro Senesino, Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747) and also got the popular sopranos Francesca Cuzzoni (1696-1778) and Faustina Bordoni (1697-1781)= For this group (which was survived from 1720-28), Handel composed some of his best operas, including "Radamisto", "Ottone", "Giulio Cesare", "Rodelinda", and "Admeto" |
| Royal Academy of Music: Handel's Operas' Subjects | Subjects were the usual ones of the time: episodes from the lives of Roman heroes freely adapted to include the maximum number of intense dramatic situations, or tales of magic and marvelous adventure revolving around the Crusades |
| Action in Operas | The action developed through dialogue spoken in the 2 distinct types of RECITATIVE that emerged in Italian opera in early 18th c. |
| 2 Types of Recitative Styles | Simple Recitative and Accompanied Recitative |
| Simple Recitative | (Recitativo Semplice, recitativo secco [dry recitative]) Was accompanied only by basso continuo, set stretches of dialogue or monologue in as speechlike a fashion as possible |
| Accompanied Recitative | (Recitativo Obbligato, recitativo accompagnato) Used stirring and impressive orchestral outbursts to dramatize tense situations= These interjections reinforced the rapid changes of emotion in the dialogue and punctuated the singer's phrases |
| Solo da capo arias | Allowed characters to respond lyrically to their situations= Each aria represented a single specific mood/affection, or sometimes 2 contrasting but related affections in the A and B sections= At singers' insistence, the arias had to be allocated according to the importance of each member of the cast and had to display the scope of each singer's vocal and dramatic powers= Handel wrote for specific singers, seeking to show off their abilities to the best advantage |
| Prima Donna | ("First Lady") Was the soprano singing the leading female role (in arias), normally demanded the most and the best arias (hense the modern meaning of that phrase) |
| Handel's Scores | Are incredible for the wide variety of aria types= Range from brilliant displays of florid ornamentation (known as COLORATURA) to sustained, sublimely expressive pathetic songs, such as "Se Pieta" in "Giulio Cesare" |
| Coloratura | Brilliant displays of florid ornamentation |
| Arias: French or German Air | Arias of regal grandeur with rich contrapuntal and concertato accompaniments contrast with arias whose simple, folklike melodies suggest the French or German air |
| Handel: Instrumental Sections | In many operas, Handel used instrumental sinfonias to mark key moments in the plot such as battles, ceremonies, or incantations, and a few of his operas include ballets= The orchestra is usually fuller than for Scarlatti operas, with more use of winds (as in French operas)= Vocal ensembles larger than duets are rare, as are choruses |
| Use of both types of recitative | One or both types of recitative are sometimes freely combined with arias, ariosos, and orchestral passages to make larger scene complexes that recall the freedom of Monteverdi's operas |
| Handel and plot | Instead of presenting the plot in recitative, then the aria with orchestral ritornello as a static moment, Handel combines these elements so that the plot continues to move forward |
| Giulio Cesare, Act II, scenes 1-2 | Throughout the opera, Handel's characteristic combination of national elements is apparent |
