#georg friedrich handel

[operasrsly]

The Sorceress - Kiri Te Kanawa

Voilà, probably one of the weirdly campest videos ever made: Kiri Te Kanawa's The Sorceress, (filmed in 1993) with English and Italian subs, so even if you are unfamiliar with opera - you have no excuse!

Tiptoeing the fine line between kitsch and camp, Kiri's The Sorceress has been a long favourite of mine. It's not only a video; it's its own mini-genre. Using the very Baroque tradition of the pasticcio (a patchwork piece to enrich an existing piece or following a known plot), The Sorceress is informed by a time that was celebrating the novelties of MTV video storytelling and was still obsessed with John Malkovich's Liaisons Dangereuses a couple of years prior. It's a throwback to the 90s in so many awesome ways. There are many versions of The Sorceress YouTube; I cleaned up one video a little, made translations and added captions in English and Italian so everyone can understand what Alcina is so upset about.

Kiri Te Kanawa Ensemble: The Academy of Ancient Music Conductor: Christopher Hogwood Choreography: Baroque Opera Atelier Toronto Mise-en-scène: Barbara Willis Sweete Ruggiero: Andrew Kelley Bradamante: Jeanette Zingg Alcina's Servant: Wilbert Hanssen Music by Georg Frideric Händel

I needed a short mental break, so I wasted a day (and a couple of bucks). The original plan was only to add subtitles in English and Italian, but I ended up scrubbing the video a little, upscaling and cleaning it with AI. Don't expect too much; the best version flying around is 444x360 pixels or something (black frame around it included) - VHS, I believe filmed from a screen too.

tl; dr: I did what I could!

[musicollage]

Handel + Pinnock — 6 Concerti Grossi Op 3. 1984 : Archiv.

! listen @ Apple Music ★ buy me a coffee !

[akathecentimetre]

Milan and the surrounding countryside, early 18th century. Bertarido, king of Lombardy and Milan, has been attacked and deposed by Grimoaldo, an ally of his estranged brother, Gundeberto. Gundeberto was killed in the battle and Bertarido vanished, leaving his queen, Rodelinda, and a young son, Flavio, in the power of the victorious ally, Grimoaldo. As a reward for defeating Bertarido, Grimoaldo was promised the hand of Bertarido’s sister, Eduige—which would grant him a legitimate claim to the throne at Milan. Eduige and Grimoaldo fell in love, but she would not marry him while mourning two brothers—one dead, one presumed so. From abroad Bertarido has sent word of his own death, intending to return to Milan in disguise, rescue his wife and son, and escape to an anonymous life far from the vagaries of politics and the burden of government. The news of his death has devastated both Rodelinda and Eduige. Grimoaldo, intent on gaining the throne, weighs his options, counseled by two advisers—Garibaldo, his closest aide, and Unulfo, a member of Bertarido’s cabinet who maintains intimate ties with the royal family and is the only person who knows that Bertarido still lives. - MetOpera.org ; full opera synopsis here.

Bonus (for @agarthanguide because it's her quote) :

[bobdobalina]

Dipping a toe into baroque opera

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

👀

[lrickwig]

GEORG FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL Y ANTONIO LUCIO VIVALDI CUMPLEAÑOS ‼️🎉

Quise hacerlos en mi estilo, que tal?

Amo a estos compositores con toda mi vida, hoy también es mi cumpleaños de hecho. 🐟

346 años de Vivaldi ❤️

y 314 de Händel 💜

Amo, amo. 🩷🩷

[musicwithoutborders]

George Friedrich Handel/The English Concert, Water Music, Suites 2 & 3 in D/G, HWV 348: IX. Country Dance (I/II) I Baroque Summer, 2024

[teledyn]

(via (1) George Friedrich Handel's Messiah Performed In Dublin - YouTube)

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/04/13/swift-handels-messiah/

Handels Messiah was first performed in Dublin on 13th April, 1742. The video above shows the Messiah being performed as close to the original spot as possible in 2012, 270 years later (and the 21st time the recreation had been done).

[fuckyeahphilippejaroussky]

Philippe Jaroussky sings "Empio, dirò tu sei" from George Frideric Handel's "Giulio Cesare"

Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt) Georg Friedrich Händel Libretto: Fancesco Haym

"Empio, dirò, tu sei" Philippe Jaroussky Ensemble Matheus cond.: Jean-Christophe Spinosi Casare's aria

Empio, dirò, tu sei Togliti a gli occhi miei Sei tutto crudeltà

Non è da re quel cuor Che donasi al rigor Che in sen non ha pietà

*** Wicked, I will say, you are Get out of my sight You are all cruelty

The heart is not fit for a king That gives itself to harshness That knows no pity

[emaya-chan-the-potato-headed]

NGL, For Unto Us A Child is Born, from Handel's Messiah, really slaps!

[medealikethesorceress]

Obscure Music Review #2: Organ Concerto op. 7, no. 1 by G. F. Händel

There are a million of these small organ concertos by Händel, but this is by far the one that has caught my ear the most. It's in church sonata form, which means 4 parts alternating slow and fast. A organ concerto of course means it's for solo organ with orchestra accompanying.

1st movement, Adagio: 6/5 This is the first time I am breaking my numbering scale, because this movement is just ethereally beautiful. Very few pieces come close to this level of beauty. The opening and ending are especially to highlight with some wonderful dissonances and chord work. a 6/5 means this movement is worth listening to the entire work for. Hell, you can even skip the rest if you really. This is just one of the best experiences I have ever had.

2nd movement, Allegro: 4/5 This is a very cheerful movement in the middle of an otherwise somber concerto, but it is lively and fun and certainly doesn't overstay it's welcome. I'd say it breaks the mood just a little from the sublime first movement, but that's all I have as far as criticisms go. Fun and lively.

3rd movement, Organo ad Libitum: ?/5 This doesn't make sense to review, since the organist is just meant to improvise here.

4th movement, Allegro: 4/5 A more serious and dark counterpart to the jovial 2nd movement. They feel very similar when it comes to overall form, but they work great in context and bouncing off of each other. Where the second movement is also folk-music like, this maintains an air of ecclesiastical dignity with a sprinkle of cordial dance. Very enjoyable, though not exceptional, hence the score.

Overall score: 5/5

Listen to this, listen to this, I beg you, just for the first movement. You should definitely stay for the rest too, but if nothing else, every human being on earth deserves the ascending experiences of this heavenly first movement. I recommend with the Menuhin Festival Orchestra, which can be found on Spotify.

[akathecentimetre]

English National Opera, Handel's Rodelinda, 2014 dir. Richard Jones

*wheezes* so uhhhhh does anyone have any video leads on this production?

[blaqekklesia]

"Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" sung by the Richard Smallwood Singers from the 1992 album, Handel's Messiah: a Soulful Celebration.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

this just in: stéphanie d’oustrac and ying fang are SERVING over at the dutch national opera

[lrickwig]

Händel~~~