iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel_iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel 17/04/2012 12:12 Page 1

2 CDs HANDEL

Acis and Galatea

Kotoski • Gordon • Siebert • Opalach Seattle Symphony Chorale Seattle Symphony • iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel_iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel 17/04/2012 12:12 Page 2

George Frideric CD 1 43:07 CD 2 58:33

HANDEL Act I Act II (1685-1759) 1 Sinfonia 3:44 1 Wretched lovers! Fate has passed (Chorus) 6:10 Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 2 Oh, the pleasure of the plains! 2 I rage, I melt, I burn (Polyphemus) 1:20 (Chorus, Acis, Galatea) 5:40 3 Air: O ruddier than the cherry (Polyphemus) 3:27 A Masque in Two Acts 3 Ye verdant plains and woody mountains 4 Whither, fairest, art thou running? Words by John Gay and others (Galatea) 0:49 (Polyphemus, Galatea) 1:22 4 Air: Hush, ye pretty warbling quire! (Galatea) 6:56 5 Air: Cease to beauty to be suing 5 Air: Where shall I seek the charming fair? (Polyphemus) 5:37 (Acis) 3:01 6 Air: Would you gain the tender creature Galatea ...... Dawn Kotoski, 6 Stay, shepherd, stay! (Damon) 0:24 (Damon) 5:31 Acis ...... David Gordon, 7 Air: Shepherd, what art thou pursuing? 7 His hideous love provokes my rage (Acis) 0:30 (Damon) 4:54 8 Air: Love sounds th’alarm (Acis) 5:20 Damon ...... Glenn Siebert, Tenor 8 Lo! here my love, turn (Acis) 0:28 9 Air: Consider, fond shepherd (Damon) 5:23 Polyphemus ...... Jan Opalach, Bass 9 Air: Love in her eyes sits playing (Acis) 7:01 0 Cease, oh cease, thou gentle youth (Galatea) 0:26 0 Oh! didst thou know the pains of absent love ! The flocks shall leave the mountains / (Galatea) 0:17 Torture, fury, rage, despair Scott Goff, Flute ! Air: As when the dove laments (Galatea) 6:19 (Acis, Galatea, Polyphemus) 3:01 @ Happy we! (Acis and Galatea, Chorus) 3:34 @ Help, Galatea! Help, ye parent gods! (Acis) 1:11 Judy Kriewall, Piccolo # Mourn, all ye muses (Chorus) 5:54 Bernard Shapiro, Oboe $ Must I my Acis still bemoan? / Susan Williams, Cello Cease, Galatea, cease to grieve (Galatea, Chorus) 6:37 Michael G. Morgan, Double Bass % ’Tis done: thus I exert my pow’r divine Jillon Stoppels Dupree, Harpsichord and Organ (Galatea) 0:19 ^ Air: Heart, the seat of soft delight (Galatea) 3:50 & Galatea, dry thy tears (Chorus) 2:35 Seattle Symphony Chorale (Richard Sparks, Director of Chorale Activities) Seattle Symphony Gerard Schwarz iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel_iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel 17/04/2012 12:12 Page 4

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) England, Handel had, in 1717, accepted the appointment Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, from the Italian cantata Clori, Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 of composer-in-residence to James Brydges, Earl of Tirsi e Fileno, and elsewhere. This was to be revived Carnarvon and, from 1719, Duke of Chandos, a man who successfully in further performances during the following There is an element of paradox about the career of English musical creativity, in their own time they suffered had made his fortune as Paymaster-General during years. In 1739 Handel devised an entirely English version . Born in Halle in 1685, the son of variable fortunes at the box-office. There were critics who Marlborough’s campaigns on the Continent. It was for of the work, of which there were further performances, but a distinguished and elderly barber-surgeon by his second found something unsuitable in the mixture of sacred and Cannons, the magnificent house that Brydges had had it seems that he never put on performances of the two-act wife, he gave up other studies in order to become a secular, and audiences came and went as fashions built for him at Edgware, that Handel, in 1718, turned English version now familiar to audiences. musician, working first in Hamburg at the , as changed from season to season. In the end, though, it again to the subject of Acis and Galatea in a masque, a The text suggests the setting of the performance. The composer and harpsichordist. From there he moved to the was the creation of this new and peculiarly English artistic miniature English opera, with a libretto by John Gay and scene is ‘a rural Prospect, with Rocks, Groves, Fountains source of all opera, Italy, where he made a name for and religious compromise that ensured Handel’s lasting contributions from Alexander Pope and John Hughes. and Grotto’s, amongst which will be disposed a Chorus of himself as a composer and performer. A meeting in fame, with a series of works that continued in Gay, who was ten years later to write The Beggar’s Nymphs and Shepherds, Habits, and every other Venice with Baron Kielmansegge led him to Hanover as performance until shortly before his death in April 1759 Opera, had poured ridicule on attempts by some English decoration suited to the Subject’. In the first act all is well. Kapellmeister and from there, almost immediately, to and subsequently formed the basis of popular English poets to explore a vein of pastoral realism, much as The sea nymph Galatea is in love with the shepherd Acis, London, where he was invited to provide music for the choral repertoire into the following centuries. Shakespeare, a hundred years or so earlier, had, in As who is seen searching for her. The lovers are given newly established Italian opera. It was, then, primarily as The pastoral has a long history in European culture, You Like It, mocked pastoral pretensions. In Acis and friendly advice by another shepherd, Damon, who a composer of Italian opera that Handel made his early stemming from Theocritus and his Alexandrian Galatea Gay provides an example of the true Greco- suggests that Acis has been neglecting his flocks, but, reputation there. contemporaries, handed on through Virgil to find further Roman form. The work was given a successful production with the lovers now together, all ends in happiness and Xenophobia has always run strong in England, and development in Renaissance Italy and in the newly at Cannons, where Pepusch, the composer responsible rejoicing. The second act is in a darker mood. The chorus while ready, in the interests of Protestantism, to accept a developing form of Italian opera. The essence of pastoral, for collecting music for The Beggar’s Opera, was director warns of danger to come. The one-eyed giant German king as successor to Queen Anne, the public was which takes for its subject the lives and loves of of music. Polyphemus, a monster, is jealous and, in a contrapuntal less wholehearted in its support of foreign opera. shepherds and shepherdesses, lies in its urban view of In 1731 a benefit performance of Acis and Galatea outburst, threatens Acis. Damon urges prudence on Common sense found some objection to the artificiality of the countryside, an idealised Arcadia, without winter and was given at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Polyphemus, but the lovers promise to be true to each the form, supported by the strong existing literary and rough weather, where little work is done, as shepherds sit This was followed, in 1732, by the announcement of an other, while Polyphemus expresses his jealous anger, dramatic traditions of the country. It seemed that John idly upon the rocks, birds sing madrigals and where the unauthorised performance for the New Theatre, in the finally crushing his rival under a great rock. The chorus Gay's The Beggar’s Opera, a political parody of grand only ills come from unrequited love, where rejection often Haymarket, a direct challenge to Handel, who was and Galatea mourn, but she remembers her semi-divine opera, in the satirical vein of Henry Fielding’s novel proves fatal. presenting Italian opera at the King’s Theatre opposite. In nature and miraculously turns the dead Acis into a river, to Jonathan Wild, appealed to a much wider public than any The story of Acis and Galatea has its earliest response Handel mounted his own production of Acis and the general satisfaction of the chorus. foreign entertainment ever could. surviving literary source in Theocritus in the third century Galatea as a three-act serenata, in a bilingual version that Handel was deeply concerned in the business of B.C. It owed its Renaissance resurgence to the treatment now included additional elements taken from his Italian Keith Anderson Italian opera, and when rivalry of an opposing company of the subject in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the inspiration for and fickle popular taste suggested the need for change, paintings by Claude and by Poussin. The Sicilian he turned instead to a form of music that seemed shepherd Acis, son of Faunus and a river-nymph, is in admirably suited to London audiences. English oratorio love with Galatea, in origin a sea-nymph, but depicted as provided what was essentially an Italianate operatic a shepherdess. Acis is killed by his rival, the Cyclops entertainment, at least as far as the music was Polyphemus, who crushes him under a rock, and is turned concerned. It had the advantage, however, of being in into a river. English, and the further attraction of an appeal, through its Handel’s first treatment of the subject of Acis and choice of subjects and texts, to Protestant religious Galatea was in the summer of 1708 in Naples. There he proclivities. completed a cantata or serenade, apparently composed Although Handel’s oratorios were to fascinate for the wedding of the Duca d’Alvito and the niece of generation after generation of English choral singers and Beatrice Sanseverino, which took place, seemingly in the exercise an effect so overwhelming as to paralyse future composer’s absence, in July. The following decade in iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel_iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel 17/04/2012 12:12 Page 6

Dawn Kotoski Jan Opalach

The American Dawn Kotoski won the 1990 International Auditions and made her Jan Opalach is well known for a repertoire which includes both serious and comic début recitals in the YCA series at New York’s 92 Street Y and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She made her character rôles. He is a member of the distinguished voice faculty of the Eastman opera début with the as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, followed by featured rôles with San Diego School of Music, and has been a regular guest of the New York City Opera since 1980, Opera, Calgary Opera and Seattle Opera. She has appeared with major U.S. orchestras, including Chicago, Atlanta, with rôles ranging from the title rôle in Le nozze di Figaro to King Fisher in Michael Minnesota and . A native of Maryland, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage. He has also appeared as a soloist with many major Manhattan School of Music. American orchestras. A winner of the Walter M. Naumburg Vocal Competition, the National Auditions, and the International Vocalisten Concours of David Gordon ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Soloist Recital Grant, he is also busy with an active career as a recitalist. He has made Since his operatic début with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1973, David Gordon has recordings for a number of labels, including Argo, Bridge, CRI, Decca, Delos, EMI, Koch International, L’Oiseau-Lyre, forged a distinguished and innovative career as opera and concert singer, recitalist, and Nonesuch, Telarc, and Vox Unique. seminar presenter. A concert artist of international stature, he has appeared as featured guest soloist with virtually every major North American symphony orchestra, and with Seattle Symphony Chorale other prestigious orchestras and music festivals on four continents. His concert repertoire spans eight centuries of music and eight languages. Praised as “One of the The Seattle Symphony Chorale, official chorus of Seattle Symphony, was founded as the Seattle Chorale in 1953 by world’s great Bach ” (Chicago Tribune), he has been heard worldwide in Leonard Moore. The Chorale began its formal affiliation as the Symphony’s official chorus in 1976 and consists of hundreds of performances of J.S. Bach’s music. As soloist, lecturer, and master-class approximately 120 members who together volunteer more than 30,000 hours each year. The singers are chosen by presenter, he has appeared at every major north American Bach Festival, including audition and perform throughout the season with Seattle Symphony. serving as dramaturge of the annual Carmel Bach Festival, and at Bach festivals in Europe, South America, and Japan. He served on the music faculty of Sonoma State Richard Sparks University, San Francisco State University, and the University of California, Berkeley, and has recorded for RCA Red Seal, Decca, London, Telarc, Dorian, Newport and Vox. Richard Sparks is currently Professor of Music at the University of North Texas, where he joined the faculty in 2009. He is well known to Seattle audiences, where in addition to his Glenn Siebert work with the Seattle Symphony Chorale from 1990-94, he founded Seattle Pro Musica and conducted three ensembles in 70 different programs with them from 1973-80, and founded Tenor Glenn Siebert has appeared in a wide range of rôles in opera houses in America and conducted Choral Arts from 1993-2006. He was also Director of Choral Activities at and abroad. He made his début with the New York Philharmonic in a performance of Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Washington, from 1983-2001. At PLU he led Carmina Burana under the direction of Kurt Masur, and has performed the Mozart the of the West, one of the top undergraduate in the country, on regular tours and Bach Magnificat with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Nicholas and also made eight recordings with that ensemble. Sparks has been active in the McGegan, and Schubert’s Mass in E flat with the Boston Symphony under Charles professional world as well; guest with the Anchorage Music Festival (his first Dutoit. His performances have included Messiah with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the year he conducted Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem as a substitute for an ailing Robert Houston Symphony, Boston Baroque, the St. Louis Symphony, The Pittsburgh Shaw), Portland Symphonic Choir, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Northwest Chamber Symphony. Minnesota Orchestra, and the Oratorio Society of New York. His recordings Orchestra, Exultate Chamber Singers in Toronto, and the Swedish Radio Choir. He first include Schubert’s Mass in E flat with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Shaw (Telarc), worked with the Swedish Radio Choir in 2002, and again in 2007 and 2008, the first North Berlioz’s Lélio with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (Koss), a CD of Virgil Thomson American to work with the choir in more than 40 years. With them he prepared the choir for songs (Albany), Mendelsshon’s Paulus with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Photo: Kathryn Sparks numerous concerts, most notably Brahms’ Requiem for Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam (Arabesque) and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Anima Aeterna (Sony). Since 2004 Philharmonic, which has been released on DVD. He was also the first non-Canadian conductor to direct the Canadian he has been the Founder/Director of the Magnolia Baroque Festival, and has been on National Youth Choir. In 2008 he was Music Director/Conductor for a production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Edmonton with Photo: Elizabeth Ratledge the faculty of the North Carolina School of the Arts since 1991. period instruments. Since 1999 he has been Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton, AB), a professional chamber choir. Pro Coro has toured regularly across Canada and has been broadcast on CBC Radio. iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel_iTunes 572745-46 bk Handel 17/04/2012 12:12 Page 8

Acis and Galatea, variously described as a pastoral, a ‘little opera’ and a masque, is one of Seattle Symphony Handel’s most popular works. It is a delectable succession of pastoral airs, love-lorn lyrics, and The Seattle Symphony has gained international prominence with more than 140 recordings, twelve GRAMMY® sprightly or mourning choruses, spiced by the pungent and unforgettable interjection of the one- nominations, two Emmys and numerous other awards. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since eyed giant Polyphemus, who destroys the idyll of the shepherd Acis and the nymph Galatea. September 2011, the Seattle Symphony performs in one of the world’s finest concert venues – the acoustically superb Handel had first turned to the subject in a cantata written in Naples in 1708. His English work, Benaroya Hall – in downtown Seattle. Gerard Schwarz led the Orchestra from 1985-2011, and is now Conductor formally a masque, went through several stages until the two-act version of 1739 written Laureate. The Orchestra is internationally recognized for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. principally by John Gay and graced by Handel’s exquisite music. From September through July, the Symphony is heard live by more than 315,000 people. For more information on the Seattle Symphony, visit www.seattlesymphony.org. George Frideric

Gerard Schwarz HANDEL (1685-1759) Gerard Schwarz serves as Music Director of the Eastern Music Festival and Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony. A renowned interpreter of A Masque in Two Acts nineteenth-century German, Austrian and Words by John Gay and others Russian repertoire in addition to contemporary American composers, Schwarz recently completed his final Galatea ...... Dawn Kotoski, Soprano season as music director of the Seattle Acis ...... David Gordon, Tenor Symphony after an acclaimed 26 years. Damon ...... Glenn Siebert, Tenor His previous positions as Music Director Polyphemus ...... Jan Opalach, Bass include New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Seattle Symphony Chorale Orchestra and the New York Chamber (Richard Sparks, Director of Chorale Activities) Symphony. As a guest conductor he has worked with many of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies. His Seattle Symphony • Gerard Schwarz Photo: Ben VanHouten discography of over 330 releases showcases his collaborations with the Seattle Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Czech CD 1 43:07 CD 2 58:33 Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and L’Orchestre National de France, among others. His pioneering 1-@ Act I 43:07 1-& Act II 58:33 recordings of American symphonists Diamond, Hanson, Hovhaness, Piston, and William Schuman have received high critical praise, as have his cycles of works by Brahms, Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Schumann, Shostakovich, Previously released on Delos International , Stravinsky, and Wagner. Schwarz has received hundreds of honours and accolades including two ® Recorded at Seattle Opera House, Seattle, WA, on 4th and 5th March, 1991 Emmy Awards, thirteen GRAMMY nominations, six ASCAP Awards and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation Executive Producer: Amelia S. Haygood • Producer: Adam Stern • Engineer: John Eargle Awards. He holds the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University, was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates. The National Academy of Recording Arts Assistant Engineers: Al Swanson, Li Teo • Booklet notes: Keith Anderson & Sciences gave Schwarz its first “IMPACT” lifetime achievement award. A detailed track and artist list can be found on pages 2 and 3 of the booklet. The English sung texts can be accessed at www.naxos.com/libretti/572745.htm Cover photograph by David Birkbeck (iStockphoto.com)