Händel Complete Opera
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Wagner-Festspielhaus Bayreuth Royal Opera house London Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) Complete Opera Index – Operas by Georg Friederich Händel 1. Almira – HWV 01 22. Lotario – HWV 26 2. Agrippina – HWV 06 23. Partenope – HWV 27 3. Rinaldo – HWV 07 24. Poro, Rè dell'Indie – HWV 28 4. Il Pastor fido – HWV 08c 25. Ezio – HWV 29 5. Teseo – HWV 09 26. Sosarme, Re di Media – HWV 30 6. Lucio Cornelio Silla – HWV 10 27. Orlando – HWV 31 7. Amadigi di Gaula – HWV 11 28. Arianna in Creta – HWV 32 8. Radamisto – HWV 12 29. Ariodante – HWV 33 9. Muzio – HWV 13 30. Alcina – HWV 34 10. Il Floridante – HWV 14 31. Atalanta – HWV 35 11. Ottone, Re di Germania – HWV 15 32. Arminio – HWV 36 12. Flavio, Re de Langobardi – HWV 16 33. Giustino – HWV 37 13. Giulio Cesare in Egitto – HWV 17 34. Berenice, Regina d'Egitto – HWV 38 14. Tamerlano – HWV 18 35. Faramondo – HWV 39 15. Rodelinda, Regina de' Langobardi – HWV 19 36. Serse – HWV 40 16. Scipione – HWV 20 37. Imeneo – HWV 41 17. Alessandro – HWV 21 38 . Deidamia – HWV 42 18. Admeto, Re di Tessaglia – HWV 22 39. The Alchymist – HWV 43 19. Riccardo Primo, Re d'Inghilterra – HWV 23 40. Comus – HWV 44 20. Siroe, Re di Persia – HWV 24 41. Aceste – HWV 45 21. Tolomeo, Re di Egitto – HWV 25 42. Oreste – HWV A11 Almira, Queen of Castile – HWV 1 or: Change of luck gained with a crown Opera in 3 Acts (Early Barock opera) Original language: german, italian Duration ca. 3 ½ hours World premiere: 8.01.1705 (Theater am Gänsemarkt, Hamburg) Libretto by Rufinus Widl: Friedrich Christian Feustking after Giulio Pancieris L'Almira (1691) Performer: Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg – Leopold Hager Cello-Cornelius Hermann, Cembalo-Jean-Pierre Faber Oebalus-Anthony Rolfe Johnson; Melia-Arleen Augér; Hyacinthus-Edith Mathis; Apollo-Cornelia Wulkopf; Zephyrus-Hanna Schwarz Recorded 1982 People: • Almira, Queen of Castile (Soprano), in love with Fernando • Edilia (Soprano), a Princess • Consalvo (Bass), Duke of Segovia, guardian of Almira • Osman (Tenor), Conslvo‘s son • Fernando (Tenor), a founding, Secretary of Almira • Raymondo (Bass), King of Mauritania • Bellante (Soprano), Princess of Aranda • Tabarco (Bass), Fernando‘s servant Action: - Castilie (Valladolid), in the Medieval, anno 1109 Almira, the Queen of Castille, is instructed by her father's will to marry a son of her guardian, Consalvo, but she is in love with her secretary, Fernando, who is a commoner and therefore off limits. Osman, Consalvo's son, is having a romance with Edilia, a princess, but wants the power that would come with marrying Almira. Raymondo, a king from Mauretania, arrives in disguise with his own marriage aspirations. Bellante, another princess, is in love with Osman. The action takes place at the palace of Almira, the Queen of Castille, in medieval Valladolid. The confused emotions and relations of the persons at her court, revolving around Almira herself as the principal figure, form the action of the opera. At the end of it all, she marries the man whom she loves. Act I After her father's death, Almira is crowned queen and learns from Consalvo that her father's last wish was that she marry a man from this wise councillors house, namely his wayward son, the military commander Osman. This is unhappy news for Almira, whose heart belongs to her secretary Fernando, a youth of unknown origin. Although Osman is pleased at the prospect of the royal wedding he vows to remain true to his beloved Edilia. Almira misinterprets a fragmentary message which Fernando has cut on a tree trunk in the woods as a declaration of his love for Edilia, a royal princess. When Fernando pays too much attention to Edilia at a court party, Almira becomes extremely jealous. The bored Osman makes his way to a party given by Bellante, the Princess of Aranda. Act II While Bellante, who has fallen in love with Osman, resists Consalvo's advances, Osman tries to get Fernando to put in a good word for him with Almira. Raymonda presents himself at court as the Mauretanian ambassador and woos Almira. Almira goes to Fernando to tell him of her love, but Osman turns up and challenges Fernando to a duel. Almira intervenes to steal Osman's dagger. Edilia finds the dagger in Almira's room and makes a jealous scene in front of Osman. Tabarco, Fernando's servant, opens and reads letters of the courtiers. Act III During the ceremonies in Raymonda's honour, Fernando, Osman and Consalvo represent the three continents Europe, Africa and Asia. Tabarco represents Folly. Raymondo tries to win Edilia's hand, but she is still pining for Osman. Bellante is brusque with Consalvo and once again refuses his advances. Consalvo has Fernando locked away in the dungeon; he too has heard of his 'forbidden love' for Edilia. Tabarco delivers a farewell letter and a ruby from Fernando to Almira, who now wavers between love and jealousy. Osman tries to win back Edilia, who now is attracted to Raymondo. Almira informs Fernando that he has been sentenced to death. But when he tells of his love for her, she sets him free. When Consalvo sees the ruby, he realises that Fernando is his long-lost son. Now nothing stands in the way of marriage between Almira and Fernando. At the end Almira and Fernando, Osman and Bellante, and Raymondo and Edilia come together for a triple wedding. Agrippina – HWV 6 Opera in 3 Acts Original language: italian Duration ca. 3 hours World premiere: 26.12.1709 (Venedig, Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo) Libretto by Friedrich Vincenzo Grimani Performer: Akademie f. Alte Musik Berlin - René Jacobs; Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Soprano) - Agrippina, Jennifer Rivera (Mezzo-Soprano) - Nerone, Sunhae Im (Soprano) - Poppea, Bejun Mehta (Counter- Tenor) - Ottone, Marcos Fink (Bass-Bariton) - Claudio, Neal Davis (Bass-Bariton) - Pallante, Dominique Visse (Counter-Tenor) - Narciso, Daniel Schmutzhard (Bass) – Lesbo Recorded 2010 People: • Agrippina (Soprano), wife of Emperor Claudio • Claudio (Bass), Emperor of Roma • Poppea (Soprano), Roman, later Nerone’s wife • Ottone (Alto), Commander oft he Emperor • Nerone (Soprano), Agrippina’s Son (from 1. marriage) • Pallante (Bass), Courtier • Narciso (Alto), Courtier • Lesbo (Bass), Servant oft he Emperor • Giunone (Alto) • Court and retinue oft he Emperor, offocers, soldiers, slaves, servants, people Action: Act I When her husband, the Roman emperor Claudius (Claudio), is apparently drowned at sea, Agrippina plots for her son Nero (Nerone) to be his successor. In fact Claudius has been saved by Otho (Ottone) and the immminent coronation of Nero is abandoned. Otho arrives and tells Agrippina that Claudius, in gratitude, has appointed him his successor. He also tells her that he is in love with Poppea. Agrippina, aware that Claudius also loves Poppea, tells Poppea that Otho has agreed to give her to Claudius in return for the crown. She suggests to Poppea that by telling Claudius that Otho has refused Poppea access to him, the emperor will dismiss Otho from the throne. Act II Otho claims his reward from Claudius who denounces him as a traitor. He is then vilified by Agrippina, Poppea and Nero. But Poppea begins to doubt his guilt, and eventually Otho convinces her of his innocence. Agrippina then tells Claudius that Otho is plotting against him and persuades him to appoint Nero emperor. Act III Poppea explains to Claudius that whereas she once thought Otho had betrayed him, it was in fact Nero, whom she then reveals hiding behind a curtain in her room. Claudius dismisses his stepson, who informs his mother of Poppea's treachery. Agrippina confronts Claudius, berates him for succumbing to Poppea's influence, and claims that Otho loves Poppea, thereby forcing Claudius to summon all three. He orders Nero to marry Poppea and leaves the succession with Otho, who requests that he might forgo the crown for Poppea's hand in marriage. Claudius agrees, and blesses Poppea and Otho's marriage. Rinaldo – HWV 7 Opera in 3 Acts Original language: italian Duration ca. 3 hours World premiere: 23.02.1711 (Queen’s Theatre, Haymarket, London) Libretto by Giacomo Rossi after Aaron Hill- Torquato Tasso, La Gerusalemme Liberata (1574) Performer: The Academy of Ancient Music - Christopher Hogwood, Bernarda Fink (Mezzo-Sopran) - Goffredo, Cecilia Bartoli (Mezzo-Sopran) - Almirena, David Daniels (Counter-Tenor) - Rinaldo, Daniel Taylor (Counter-Tenor) - Eustazio, Gerald Finley (Bariton) - Argante, Luba Orgonasova (Soprano) - Armida, Bejun Mehta (Counter-Tenor) - Mago cristiano, Ana-Maria Rincón (Soprano) - Donna,Sirena II, Catherine Bott (Soprano) - Sirena I, Mark Padmore (Tenor) - Un Araldo Recorded 1999 People: • Goffredo (Alto), leader of the First Crusade, 1096–99 • Almirena (Soprano), daughter of Goffredo • Rinaldo (Soprano), a nobleman of the House of Este • Eustazio (Alto), brother to Goffredo • Argante (Bass), Saracen king of Jerusalem, lover Armida’s • Armida (Soprano), Queen of Damascus, Argante's mistress, a sorceress • Mago (Alto), christian magician • A woman (Soprano) • Two Sirenes (Soprano) • A herold (Tenor) • Mermaids, spirits, fairies, officers, guards, attendants Action: - in and around Jerusalem, 1099, during the first crusade ACT I The Christian army, led by Goffredo, is besieging the city of Jerusalem. If the city is taken, then the Christian warrior Rinaldo will be free to marry Goffredo's daughter Almirena. In an audience with Goffredo, Argante, the king of Jerusalem, is granted a three-day halt to hostilities. The sorceress Armida, queen of Damascus, descends from the skies and tells her lover Argante that their only hope of victory is the destruction of Rinaldo. As Rinaldo and Almirena express their love for each other, Armida snatches Almirena away. Goffredo and his brother Eustazio discover the distraught Rinaldo. Eustazio suggests seeking the help of a Christian sorcerer who lives in a cave at the foot of a mountain.