HANDEL; Orlando & Ariodante

 

·          Initial references

o         New Grove Opera (online as part of Grove7) 'Orlando', 'Ariodante' and 'London, V,1: Musical life: 1660-1800: The stage'

o         Queen's Theatre (after 1714 King's Theatre) Haymarket. Built 1704-5 by Sir John Vanburgh. Destroyed by fire 1790.  http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/uk/uk_london_kings_haymarket.htm

o         Covent Garden (then known as 'Convent Garden') Theatre: opened Dec 1732, burnt down 1808 http://www.covent-garden.co.uk/historieso/operahouse.html

o         Lincoln's Inn Theatre (the third on the same spot). Built in 1714 by Christopher Rich, staged The Beggar's Opera in 1727, abandoned 1732 when the company (now led by Rich's son John) relocated to the new Covent Garden Theatre.

o         Orlando – Kalmus miniature score (complete works) (M/HAN); CD

o         Ariodante – Bärenreiter vocal score  (M17/HAN); CD

o         Deutsch, O.E. (1955) Handel: A Documentary Biography (London: A & C Black)

o         http://instruct.uwo.ca/english/234e/site/lndnmprstrtnthtrs.html - Restoration Theatre guide

o         http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_se/murray/Restoration/Theatres/ThPlan.html - inside a Restoration Theatre, with contemporary pictures

 

·          Historical background

o         The Beggar's Opera

·          popular English ballad opera – 62 performances in first half-season 1728, spawned a great boom in ballad opera in both mainpieces and afterpieces:

Music virtually flooded the legitimate stage, mostly in decidedly popular forms [New Grove Opera, 'London …']

 

o         Orlando

·          produced King's Theatre 27 Jan 1733

·          the only new opera of Handel's 1732-3 season

·          only 10 performances – later ones scheduled, but cancelled (due to 'singer's illness' – "likely … a hint of Handel's breach with Senesino, which came to a head in June 1733 with the defection of (Senesino) and most of H's company to the 'Opera of the Nobility'

·          poor attendance (linked with above) – cf Sir John Clerk (re 5 May performance):

I never in all my life heard a better piece of musick nor better perform'd … however, the Audience was very thin so that I believe they get not enough money to pay the Instruments of the Orchestra [New Grove Opera, 'Orlando']

·          H never revived it – next heard in Halle 1922; in UK, Abingdon 1959

 

o         The 'Opera of the Nobility'

·          a rival Italian opera company, established at Lincoln's Inn Theatre in mid-1733

·          first production Porpora's Arianna in Nasso, Dec 1733

·          Handel replied Jan 1734 with Arianna in Creta

·          both companies performed on Tuesday and Saturday nights, in direct competition

·          at end of 1734, Opera of the Nobility took over King's Theatre, and Handel 'became a part-time tenant' of the new Covent Garden Theatre

·          in 1734-5 season Opera of the Nobility hired Farinelli (castrato soprano, the leading singer of his day) and Handel 'was virtually beaten from the field' [Grove7]

·          by spring 1737 the great opera war was over – Handel joined Heidegger and the remnants of the Opera of the Nobility at King's Theatre Haymarket, but attempts to raise subscription for 1738-9 season failed, and Italian opera collapsed for the third time in just over 20 years.

 

o         Ariodante

·          produced Covent Garden Theatre 8 Jan 1735

·          Handel's first new opera in his first season at CGT

·          11 performances (in competition with Opera of the Nobility)

·          revived briefly as stopgap May 1736, with soprano castrato Gioacchino Conti, who had to include several imported arias

·          no further performances until Stuttgart 1928; in UK, Birmingham 1964

 

·          Orlando

o         Characters:                                                sung by

·          Orlando a knight                        alto castrato      Senesino

·          Angelica Queen of Cathay, in love with Medoro      soprano            Anna Maria Strada del Pò

·          Medoro an African prince, in love with Angelica      contralto            Francesca Bertolli

·          Dorinda a shepherdess                  soprano            Celeste Gismondi (Resse?)

·          Zoroastro a magician                        bass            Antonio Montagnana

·          Isabella a princess                        a silent rôle*

*important in Capece's original libretto, but appears only v. briefly in Handel's version

o         Libretto is anonymous, based on an earlier (1711) one by Carlo Sigismondo Capece. It is one of three Handel operas adapted from the famous C16 pastoral epic, Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto (the others being Ariodante and Alcina).

o         Of these, it "remains the closest in spirit" [NGO] to Ariosto …

o         … albeit with extensive variations, notably the creation of Zoroastro and his associated magical effects.

o         Adaptations to English taste include:

·          the introduction into the plot of Zoroastro

·          Orlando's Mad Scene ("flouting … Baroque operatic conventions to depict the deranged state of the hero's mind")

·          the combination of pastoral scenes (though this derives directly from Ariosto: cf also contemporary (1678) pictures on website above) and magic tableaux – both strongly hint of the influence of the masque, but also of French opera

o         Despite a conventional overture, "Orlando is a highly original creation" [NGO], especially in the domination of its musical structure by irregular forms – only 3 da capo arias.

 

o         Overture:

(Grave) alla breve: Allegro 3/8, quasi-fugal: Lentement C: Allegro 12/8, binary form*

*NB: although A section modulates (from F#min to rel major, A, B section begins in F#min)

 

o         Arioso Dorinda - "Quando spieghi" Act II/Sc.1 – pastorale pedals, nightingale effects in vlns & vce, etc.

 

o         Aria – Orlando – "Già lietro" Act III/Sc.7 – scored for 2 solo violette marine & pizz. bass

 

o         Mad Scene – Orlando " Act II/Sc.9

·          Recitative – note orchestral colouring, rapidly varying time-sigs/tempi (including 5/8 bars). rests & hesitations & violent outbursts

·          Rondo – A (solo + orch – no orch ritornello)·B·A·C·A·[D·A = closing ritornello]

 

 

	Bar nos.	time-sig	tempo marking	key-sig	Notes
Recit	1-9	C	(none)	none, but effectively G
	10-21	C	Andante	none, but effectively Bmin
	22-24	5/8	Andante	none, but effectively Dmin à Gmin
	25-26	C
	27	5/8
	28-30	C
	31-48	6/8	Andante	Cmin
	49-55	C	(none)	C à cadence on V
	56-62	C	Adagio	V of Amin à Dmin
Rondo	63-74	alla breve	A tempo di Gavotta	F	Rondo theme (solo + orch)
	75-107	3/ 4	Larghetto	Dmin	Episode 1
	108-119	alla breve	A tempo	F	Theme
	120-169			Dmin	Ep.2
	170-178			F	Theme (shortened)
	179-186				Final ritornello: Ep.3            Theme (shortened)
	187-195

 

 

 

·          Ariodante

o         Characters:                                                sung by

·          The King of Scotland                        bass            Gustavus Waltz

·          Ariodante a vassal prince                  mezzo-soprano      Giovanni Carestini (castrato)

·          Ginevra daughter of the King of Scotland,

      betrothed to Ariodante                        soprano                        Anna Maria Strada del Pò

·          Lurciano Ariodante's brother                  tenor            John Beard

·          Polinesso Duke of Albany                  contralto            Maria Negri

·          Dalinda Attendant on Ginevra,

     secretly in love with Polinesso                        soprano                        Cecilia Young

·          Odoardo favourite of the king                  tenor            Michael Stoppelaer

o         Libretto is anonymous, based on an earlier (1708) one by Antonio Salvi. Also adapted Orlando furioso, cantos iv-vi, by Ludovico Ariosto.

o         In common with the other operas of Handel's 1734-5 season, the opera included dance sequences for Marie Sallé's company (NB: ballet which originally ended Act II was replaced before performance by the short two-movement Entrée de' Mori and transferred to Alcina).

o         Musical structures more conventional than Orlando, with a fairly strict pattern of recitatives and da capo arias.

o         Forward-looking romantic plot (à C19)

o         Other opinions from NGO:

§          one of Handel's most appealing operas, and one of greatest

§          music of consistently high quality

§          technically demanding

§          covers a remarkable range of emotional expression

§          has a sense of intimacy – generally modest scoring …

§          … and use of minor deviations from recit-aria structure, eg 3 short arioso songs

§          dances & choruses in final scenes of Acts I & III are peripheral to the story, but essential to the structure

 

o         Aria – Ginevrà – "Volate amori" Act I/Sc.6 no.7 – "superb example of optimism and joy through vocal virtuosity"

 

o         Aria – Ariodante – "Scherza infida!" Act II/Sc.3, no.20 – shows "bleak despair", emphasized by "mournful obbligato" for bassoon with muted upper stgs and pizz. bass

 

o         Act II Sinfonia – short, evocative description suggesting the rising of the moon

 

o         Act II conclusion (Scene 12) – sequence of dances & choruses (see over)

 

o         Act III Scena ultima – sequence of dances & choruses (see over)

·                   Synopsis [NGO]

 

 

Setting Edinburgh and its vicinity

Act 1  The action is set in Edinburgh (though there is no local colour in the music). The opening scene is Ginevra’s dressing room, where she confesses to Dalinda that she is in love, with her father’s approval. Polinesso presumptuously enters and declares love for Ginevra, but she says he is odious to her and leaves. Dalinda tells Polinesso that Ariodante is his rival for Ginevra and coyly hints at her own love for Polinesso. He decides to use her to destroy Ariodante.

In the royal gardens, Ariodante and Ginevra pledge faith. The King gives them his blessing and tells Odoardo to prepare for their wedding the following day. Polinesso deceitfully convinces Dalinda that he loves her, and asks her to help him take revenge on Ginevra: she is to dress that night in Ginevra’s clothes and lead him into the royal apartments. Ariodante’s brother Lurcanio tells Dalinda that he loves her, but she says she is not for him. In a beautiful valley, Ariodante and Ginevra are entertained by the singing and dancing of the local shepherds and shepherdesses.

Act 2  In a ruined place, from which a private door leads into the royal apartments, Polinesso meets Ariodante by moonlight and pretends to be amazed when Ariodante says that he will soon be married to Ginevra. Polinesso claims (overhead by Lurcanio, in hiding) that he already enjoys Ginevra’s favours, as Ariodante will see for himself. The door to the apartments is opened by the disguised Dalinda, and Polinesso is admitted. Ariodante, horrified, and overwhelmed with grief is about to kill himself but is prevented by Lurcanio, who urges him to avenge his betrayed love. Unaware of what she has done, Dalinda leaves Polinesso to exult in his deceit.

In a gallery of the palace, Odoardo brings terrible news to the King: Ariodante has been seen to plunge from a high cliff into the sea and is presumed drowned. Ginevra is told and faints with grief. Lurcanio claims the cause of Ariodante’s death is the wantonness of Ginevra: he presents the King with a signed account of what he believes was her assignation with Polinesso and is prepared to defend its truth with his sword. The King denounces Ginevra as a whore, leaving her in profound despair.

Act 3  Ariodante is in a wood; he is revealed to have survived and curses the gods for letting him live. He meets and rescues Dalinda, fleeing from assassins employed by Polinesso; she is now aware of Polinesso’s treachery and explains to Ariodante how he was deceived.

Back at the palace Polinesso hypocritically presents himself to the King as Ginevra’s champion against Lurcanio. Ginevra, under sentence of death for her alleged unchastity, is brought to the King. She begs to kiss his hand for the last time; moved, the King allows her to do so, and insists that Polinesso be her champion despite her protests.

On the tournament field, Lurcanio challenges Polinesso to a duel and mortally wounds him, he offers a further challenge, which the King himself is about to take up, when a new champion appears with the visor of his helmet down. The newcomer reveals himself to be Ariodante and promises to explain everything if Dalinda is granted a pardon. Odoardo announces that Polinesso has died after confessing his crimes. The King orders rejoicing. The chastened Dalinda yields to Lurcanio’s assurance of his love.

Ginevra, in prison, resigns herself to death, but her despair is swiftly turned to joy with the appearance of Ariodante and the King, who renews his blessing on the lovers. In a royal hall the two couples are entertained with the dances of knights and ladies.