Album insights
Handel left his German homeland for the first time in 1706, traveling to Italy where he stayed for about four years. This marked one of the most significant and fruitful periods of his life. Educated by his teacher Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow in Halle, he gained a solid technical foundation as a church musician. While composing and playing for the Hamburg Opera, he absorbed elements of the French and Italian styles indirectly. In pursuit of becoming a leading opera composer, he journeyed to Italy to acquire language skills, collaborate with Italian singers and instrumentalists, and infuse his compositions with the colors and drama of the newest Italian music.
Primary among Handel's goals in Italy was to perfect his skills in composing for the voice. This intention found better fulfillment in the quiet settings of the grand estates of noble music patrons in Rome and elsewhere than in the tumultuous and at times quarrelsome opera scene. During this period, solo or multi-voice cantatas were often performed in intimate settings where poets, composers, and singers could showcase and refine their talents. Handel composed around a hundred such cantatas in Italy, covering a range of styles within the genre. Through his work on these pieces, he gained the necessary experiences while creating a wealth of magnificent music that would later inspire his future works.
Many of Handel's cantatas were written for his main Roman supporter, the Marchese Ruspoli. These pieces were performed at gatherings of the "Arcadian Academy," a society of aristocrats and artists dedicated to high cultural standards in Rome, particularly in poetry and music. Handel spent six months with Ruspoli in 1707 and returned in spring 1708 to present his oratorio La Resurezzione, designed for Rome. His time in Italy was documented meticulously in Ruspoli's household books, shedding light on the creation of several significant cantatas. One such work is Clori, mia bella Clori, which embodies a young man's reflections on his lover Chloris' absence or potential eternal loss.
Handel's cantata Amarilli vezzosa, also known as "Il duello amoroso," was composed and performed in late August 1708. This piece, one of several surviving only in manuscript form in the Santini Collection in Münster, explores a dramatic encounter between the shepherd Daliso and shepherdess Amaryllis in a forest setting. Their conflict and resolution are musically portrayed through captivating melodies and intricate harmonic choices.
O come chiare e belle, a cantata by Handel, was performed on September 9, 1708, highlighting the moment when Ruspoli offered his aid to the Pope during the Spanish Succession War. This work features Olinto, standing for Ruspoli, the Tiber representing Rome, and the allegorical figure of Gloria encouraging Rome's restoration. With a rich tapestry of metaphors and intricate musical compositions, this cantata vividly illustrates historical events and sentiments of the time.
Handel's compositions from his time in Italy showcase his versatility and ingenuity, capturing the essence of his experiences and artistic growth during this pivotal period in his career.