Welcome to the Sunday edition of Opera Daily, the best opera community on the internet. If you’re reading this but haven’t subscribed yet, join 4,252 smart, curious folks by subscribing here🎉 This week is all about Handel (1685-1759). If you missed the first post in this series where we covered Beverly Sills singing Julius Caesar, it’s
I'm primarily drawn to opera by the orchestral music, the drama, and theatrics. Oddly enough, the singing is of a secondary, almost incidental interest to me. I acknowledge this is peculiar for opera enthusiasts. Having said that, when a singer delivers a sublime performance, as Cecilia Bartoli surely does, it is a most welcome bonus!
I have returned to this post, even though we're deep into Rossini, because "Rinaldo" has been calling me. I've always been interested in the art and music of the Baroque period. I have found, however, that I can only listen to Handel's "Rinaldo" in bite-sized pieces. It's so long! At some point, I must set aside 3+ hours to listen to it from start to finish. I have been enjoying the fanciful ornamentation in the music and arias. I try to imagine myself as a bewigged, bejeweled and perfumed lady in an 18th century European court, listening in rapt attention (when not gossiping or flirting). Handel has always taken me on a musical journey that I don't want to end. He is definitely one of my favorite composers. Lucky for us he hasn't fallen out of favor, and his genius is still celebrated.
I had no idea that I had finished "Rinaldo" and that YouTube had moved me straight away to "Giulio Cesare." Apparently I've been listening to the latter for much of the afternoon, and didn't know it until I decided to take a break. The two operas sound similar. Maybe I picked up on what you wrote in the 6Dec2020 post. Handel (like Rossini) borrowed music from his other works. Even so, he has a style all his own. The tenor and tone of "Giulio Cesare" was definitely more heroic than "Rinaldo". I am glad to bookmark them in my full opera playlist.
I'm primarily drawn to opera by the orchestral music, the drama, and theatrics. Oddly enough, the singing is of a secondary, almost incidental interest to me. I acknowledge this is peculiar for opera enthusiasts. Having said that, when a singer delivers a sublime performance, as Cecilia Bartoli surely does, it is a most welcome bonus!
Gentle and soothing. Lovely
Beautiful warmth in C Bartolli’s voice.. really very heartfelt song
I have returned to this post, even though we're deep into Rossini, because "Rinaldo" has been calling me. I've always been interested in the art and music of the Baroque period. I have found, however, that I can only listen to Handel's "Rinaldo" in bite-sized pieces. It's so long! At some point, I must set aside 3+ hours to listen to it from start to finish. I have been enjoying the fanciful ornamentation in the music and arias. I try to imagine myself as a bewigged, bejeweled and perfumed lady in an 18th century European court, listening in rapt attention (when not gossiping or flirting). Handel has always taken me on a musical journey that I don't want to end. He is definitely one of my favorite composers. Lucky for us he hasn't fallen out of favor, and his genius is still celebrated.
I had no idea that I had finished "Rinaldo" and that YouTube had moved me straight away to "Giulio Cesare." Apparently I've been listening to the latter for much of the afternoon, and didn't know it until I decided to take a break. The two operas sound similar. Maybe I picked up on what you wrote in the 6Dec2020 post. Handel (like Rossini) borrowed music from his other works. Even so, he has a style all his own. The tenor and tone of "Giulio Cesare" was definitely more heroic than "Rinaldo". I am glad to bookmark them in my full opera playlist.