Enchantingly Beautiful

Baroque opera, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries has enjoyed new success in recent years. George Frideric Handel wrote his masterpiece, Alcina, in 1735. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the composer's death and for the first time in its history, the HKAF presents an enchanting production of this most frequently performed Baroque opera.

The beautiful, expressive music demands powerful vocal performances: Emma Bell in the title role and Christopher Ainslie as Ruggiero are Handel experts. The Latvian National Opera showcases its high quality craftsmanship with impressive sets, gorgeous costumes and elegant court dances. Don't miss this magical work.

Emma Bell

Emma Bell is at the forefront of the sopranos of her generation. After winning the Kathleen Ferrier Prize in 1998, she was immediately engaged for the title role in Handel's Rodelinda for the Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Operas. She has performed with the Komische Opera Berlin, the English National Opera and the Paris National Opera, where she recently sang the title role of Alcina.

Christopher Ainslie

Winner of the 2008 Richard Tauber Prize at the Wigmore Hall and the Michael Oliver Prize in the 2007 Handel Singing Competition, Christopher Ainslie is an expert in performing Handel’s opera and oratorio. His performance in the title role of Handel’s Poro in the 2007 London Handel Festival received high acclaim.

Finding the Drama in Baroque Opera

by Michael McClellan

In the early 1950s, the eminent musicologist Joseph Kerman wrote: “Baroque opera is thoroughly unknown and discredited today. It is never produced.” How times have changed! In recent years, operas unheard for centuries now enjoy spectacular success. The reasons for this new-found interest have to do with changes of taste as well as the appearance of performing ensembles dedicated to Baroque opera.

The most prevalent operatic genre developed over the course of the Baroque era, was the Italian dramma per musica (drama through music), better known as opera seria (serious opera). Consisting of three acts that present a moral dilemma and place human emotions in opposition to social obligations, the action is advanced through a style of dramatic verse that composers set to approximate the rhythms of spoken Italian. At the end of each scene this recitative is interrupted by an elaborate, lyrical setting for a reflective poem known as an aria. Composers employed da capo form, repeating the opening section in full after a contrasting middle section. Duets, choruses and other ensembles are rare; the majority of these operas consist of a continuous alternation of recitatives and arias. It is not unusual to find examples of opera seria containing 30 or more arias strung together.

In the 19th century this operatic paradigm was criticized for being too static, emphasizing solo singing over plot and narrative momentum and see-sawing between outpourings of lyricism and unadorned recitative. Yet, for Baroque opera, shifts between recitatives and arias constitute a practical means of accommodating two different requirements of the genre. Recitatives advance the action of the plot because the singers engage in dialogue and efficiently exchange ideas. In contrast, arias allow individuals to express their innermost thoughts and feelings . Critics also dismissed da capo arias for being overly repetitive and undramatic. Returning to the opening section at the conclusion of a da capo aria, however, was never an exact repetition. 18th-century vocalists introduced improvised ornamentation, including extensive cadenzas at the conclusion of the “repeated” section. This provided singers the opportunity to interpret the character, thus intensifying the emotional content of the aria.

The fact that Baroque opera has acquired popularity in recent years cannot be attributed to any single cause. 19th-century operatic values were questioned and 20th-century musical tastes changed. Composers, including Igor Stravinsky and Benjamin Britten, sought inspiration in pre-romantic models for operas such as The Rake’s Progress or The Rape of Lucretia. The 20th century also witnessed the establishment of international opera festivals which regularly feature Baroque opera. At the same time, there was growing interest among musicians in historically informed performance. These performers studied the instrumental and vocal techniques of the 17th and 18th centuries and formed ensembles dedicated to Baroque music. By the 1970s, conductors like William Christie, René Jacobs and Christopher Hogwood were recording operas not heard for generations. These developments have enriched our musical knowledge and understanding of Baroque opera.

Audiences at the upcoming HKAF will have the opportunity to judge the musical and dramatic merits of Baroque opera seria when the Latvian National Opera presents their production of Handel’s Alcina. The story of this opera, based on an episode from Ludovico Ariosto’s celebrated epic Orlando furioso, focuses on the sorceress Alcina, who seduces heroes, lures them to her enchanted island and transforms them into wild animals she can control. The plot revolves around Ruggiero and the efforts of his betrothed to free him from Alcina’s power. The storyline includes moments of betrayal, mistaken identity and intemperate passion. Handel responded to the confrontations and interactions between characters by plumbing a wide range of emotions. His powerful arias explore desire, arrogance, doubt, rage, nostalgia, jealousy, despair and true love. What could be more dramatic?

Michael McClellan is an Associate Professor and Chairman of the Music Department at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Handel’s Alcina

Falling out of favour, Handel struggled with financial difficulties when people boycotted the distinguished composer’s music. He persevered, inspired by well-liked dancer, Marie Salle, and composed Alcina, first performed in Covent Garden in 1735. The action takes place in an enchanted realm with a protagonist endowed with supernatural powers – this sub-genre of opera, known as “magic opera”, was highly popular during the Baroque era, requiring elaborate stage machinery capable of operating rapid and sensational set design changes. Although the basis is formed by arias, this opera includes marvellous dance sequences and choruses. Alcina ended the boycott against Handel and placed this outstanding opus among Italian opera seria.