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This isn't an opera, strictly speaking; this Acis and Galatea by Handel, most likely dating from 1718, is much more a part of the very English genre of the "masque", or pastoral divertimento. That said, its hour-and-a-half running time is redolent of a lot of operas... It seems that Handel wrote it for a rich private patron, in those politically turbulent days when the Royal Theatre had more bad days than good; James Brydge, the count of Carnarvon, had assembled a little troupe of singers and musicians at his manor, as well as a choir, which allowed him to offer purely private musical entertainments of high quality. Of course, the work is sung in English; the orchestration, which is very original, calls for inter alia a soprano recorder for the songbirds; and it unfurls a number of theatrical "tricks" to highlight the personalities of the various characters. Twenty years later, Handel would revise his work for public performances in London, but this is a recording of the 1718 original. Elegance, sensuality, a strong dose of humour in spite of the often-sombre subject matter: this is the best of Handel, and it should be noted that the composer used almost none of his normal "recycling": apart from an aria, all the music here is original, and was not re-used in any other works. Acis and Galatea was one of Handel's most-performed works in his own lifetime, which rather prevented him from re-using any of the tunes too often, as he might have been able to do with a lesser-known piece. The Early Opera Company conducted by Christian Curnyn proves here that private lyrical enterprises, supported by crowdfunding and generous subscriptions from patrons have got a long and happy future ahead of them still. © SM/Qobuz
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Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a (Georg Friedrich Händel)
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Benjamin Hulett, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Benjamin Hulett, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
DISC 2
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Neal Davies, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Neal Davies, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Neal Davies, MainArtist - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Neal Davies, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Jeremy Budd, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Benjamin Hulett, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Neal Davies, MainArtist - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Allan Clayton, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Lucy Crowe, MainArtist - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
George Frideric Handel, Composer - Christian Curnyn, Conductor, MainArtist - Early Opera Company, MainArtist - Tutti Soloists, Choir, MainArtist
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
Album review
This isn't an opera, strictly speaking; this Acis and Galatea by Handel, most likely dating from 1718, is much more a part of the very English genre of the "masque", or pastoral divertimento. That said, its hour-and-a-half running time is redolent of a lot of operas... It seems that Handel wrote it for a rich private patron, in those politically turbulent days when the Royal Theatre had more bad days than good; James Brydge, the count of Carnarvon, had assembled a little troupe of singers and musicians at his manor, as well as a choir, which allowed him to offer purely private musical entertainments of high quality. Of course, the work is sung in English; the orchestration, which is very original, calls for inter alia a soprano recorder for the songbirds; and it unfurls a number of theatrical "tricks" to highlight the personalities of the various characters. Twenty years later, Handel would revise his work for public performances in London, but this is a recording of the 1718 original. Elegance, sensuality, a strong dose of humour in spite of the often-sombre subject matter: this is the best of Handel, and it should be noted that the composer used almost none of his normal "recycling": apart from an aria, all the music here is original, and was not re-used in any other works. Acis and Galatea was one of Handel's most-performed works in his own lifetime, which rather prevented him from re-using any of the tunes too often, as he might have been able to do with a lesser-known piece. The Early Opera Company conducted by Christian Curnyn proves here that private lyrical enterprises, supported by crowdfunding and generous subscriptions from patrons have got a long and happy future ahead of them still. © SM/Qobuz
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 29 track(s)
- Total length: 01:26:36
- Main artists: Christian Curnyn, Early Opera Company, Lucy Crowe, Allan Clayton, Benjamin Hulett, Neal Davies, Jeremy Budd, Rowan Pierce
- Composer: Georg Friedrich Händel
- Label: Chandos
- Genre: Classical Opera
2018 Chandos Records 2018 Chandos Records
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