BaL 16.01.21 - Handel: Tamerlano

[MickyD]

Ah, that's better! I may be in the minority, but I'm looking forward to this BAL tomorrow.

[ardcarp]

It's not so long since Handel's operas were dismissed as being stilted and not worth bothering about.

...until, that is, Anthony Lewis at Birmingham began to stage them (as you say, previously thought of as un-stageable) at the Barber Institute. It was a great success. Janet Baker, at the start of her career, sang in several.

I think he staged works by Rameau and Purcell also.

This recent article may be of interest:

https://www.business-live.co.uk/retail-consumer/barber-institute-breathes-new-life-3940317

[Ein Heldenleben]

This crowd not so big on music, particularly opera, before, say, Verdi.

Do you know that although I’ve been to hundreds of operas over the years I’ve never seen a Handel opera live in the theatre ?
I think the problem is that they are difficult to cast and not auditorium fillers. Yet they are often wonderful operas and , for some reason, lend themselves to wacky “out there “ productions in way that Mozart operas don’t.The last opera I saw live ( via cinema relay) is a case in point Aggripina from the Met with Joyce Didonato - a memorable night...

[verismissimo]

...until, that is, Anthony Lewis at Birmingham began to stage them (as you say, previously thought of as un-stageable) at the Barber Institute. It was a great success. Janet Baker, at the start of her career, sang in several.
I think he staged works by Rameau and Purcell also …

Yes, Anthony Lewis at the Barber lit a fuse for a number of composers - Handel (7 operas), Haydn and Rameau - all of whom to a greater or lesser extent have been revived since that time (1959-68).

The one he also presented that missed the boat over the following half century was Alessandro Scarlatti. So that whole generation of outstanding Neapolitan baroque composers - Scarlatti, Porpora, Vinci, Leo etc - still languish in neglect. Indeed most music lovers don't even know that they existed …

[ardcarp]

I think it took quite a while for the necessarily 'static' moments in Baroque opera to catch on. OK, dialogue is carried on by recitative (e.g. telling the story, holding a conversation, etc) but the Aria was essentially a vehicle for an individual character's emotion to be poured forth (anger, hate, love and so on) and not only that, but was a vehicle for the singer's virtuosity to flourish...something very important in Baroque opera. The same goes to some extent I suppose for 19th century opera, but the Aria, or indeed a string of Arias, delivered to the audience without any extra 'stage business', is what 18th century opera-goers paid to see.

I think a century earlier (think Monteverdi) opera was very much a medium for the nobility or the fine courts to enjoy. Elaborate stage mechanics, probably eye-wateringly expensive, would have angels or devils or indeed anything flying across the stage on wires, or have ships sinking, castles arising and so on. This was not, I think, part of the opera scenes of Handel, Rameau, Porpora, Scarlatti and the rest. Correct me if I am mistaken!

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think it took quite a while for the necessarily 'static' moments in Baroque opera to catch on. OK, dialogue is carried on by recitative (e.g. telling the story, holding a conversation, etc) but the Aria was essentially a vehicle for an individual character's emotion to be poured forth (anger, hate, love and so on) and not only that, but was a vehicle for the singer's virtuosity to flourish...something very important in Baroque opera. The same goes to some extent I suppose for 19th century opera, but the Aria, or indeed a string of Arias, delivered to the audience without any extra 'stage business', is what 18th century opera-goers paid to see.

There always seems to be criticism of the da capo aria ‘holding up the action ‘ but when it’s someone like Joyce D. Singing I don’t find that a problem...

[vinteuil]

Yes, Anthony Lewis at the Barber lit a fuse for a number of composers - Handel (7 operas), Haydn and Rameau - all of whom to a greater or lesser extent have been revived since that time (1959-68)…

... I seem to remember Lina Lalandi at the English Bach Festival doing Handel and Rameau operas in the 1970s - did anyone get to any of them?

.

[verismissimo]

... I seem to remember Lina Lalandi at the English Bach Festival doing Handel and Rameau operas in the 1970s - did anyone get to any of them?

.

Remember them happening but sadly didn't have the message until later.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Only about half a century ago, Alpie.

:

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Alpie can answer for himself, but I took his comment to mean that the fact that we have any recordings at all, albeit not very many, is a blessing.

I'm glad someone understands my meanings.

[Nick Armstrong]

... well, I've got the J-E Gardiner - but may be looking for something here : I expect I'll be in the market for the Minasi.

When I had my intensive Handel opera phase (in the late 1990s I think), I recall being somewhat underwhelmed by Tamerlano... but the JEG was the only one I heard (& owned briefly).

Will certainly be interested to hear whether any more recent contenders tempt a return to this piece.

[MickyD]

... I seem to remember Lina Lalandi at the English Bach Festival doing Handel and Rameau operas in the 1970s - did anyone get to any of them?

.

Yes, I attended some of the events in the 80s, above all the 'Divertissement' programmes held in the glorious setting of the Banqueting House in Whitehall. You paid a fairly princely sum to see extracts from Rameau operas with dancers in full costume after the 18th century designs of Boquet. There was also a dinner laid on, prepared by the Roux brothers.

I also saw a very entertaining production of "Platée" at Sadler's Wells, which Jean-Claude Malgoire guest conducted. Happy days.

[Pulcinella]

I struggled through the synopsis both on Wiki and in Kobbé yesterday; it's not exactly a laugh a minute!
I'm not too sure how threats of committing suicide are a strong bargaining tool, but perhaps I lost the plot.

[MickyD]

I think it took quite a while for the necessarily 'static' moments in Baroque opera to catch on. OK, dialogue is carried on by recitative (e.g. telling the story, holding a conversation, etc) but the Aria was essentially a vehicle for an individual character's emotion to be poured forth (anger, hate, love and so on) and not only that, but was a vehicle for the singer's virtuosity to flourish...something very important in Baroque opera. The same goes to some extent I suppose for 19th century opera, but the Aria, or indeed a string of Arias, delivered to the audience without any extra 'stage business', is what 18th century opera-goers paid to see.

I think a century earlier (think Monteverdi) opera was very much a medium for the nobility or the fine courts to enjoy. Elaborate stage mechanics, probably eye-wateringly expensive, would have angels or devils or indeed anything flying across the stage on wires, or have ships sinking, castles arising and so on. This was not, I think, part of the opera scenes of Handel, Rameau, Porpora, Scarlatti and the rest. Correct me if I am mistaken!

On the contrary, eighteenth century operas were famous for lavish stage designs, machines and effects etc...just look at what Rameau asks for in his scores, and the designs that were created for those productions. There's a very good DVD of 'Hippolyte et Aricie' which does a pretty good job of recreating the look of it all:

[DracoM]

But can even the most amazing stage designs convey enough excitement to overcome the sleep-inducing, comfortable and unchallenging predictability of baroque opera, littered with wearying show pieces for desperate sopranos and harmonic progressions that stretch into yawning?