George Frideric Handel's Alcina premiered in London In 1735, the same year as Rameau's Indes galantes, but the two could hardly more different. Compared to Rameau, Handel has a smaller cast, less spectacle, no ballet, almost no choruses, and few ensembles. As a typical opera seria (serious opera), Alcina consists almost entirely of solo arias with orchestra, alternating with harpsichord-accompanied recitatives. These arias generally follow a convention whereby the long opening section would be repeated in its entirety (da capo, from the top) after a short bridge, leaving the singers free to add ornaments to show off their virtuosity. This shone the spotlight on the star artists, including especially the castrati (surgically altered male sopranos) who took the heroic roles.

The opera seria esthetic is so foreign to modern taste that you might think Handel would be seldom performed today. Yet this is not the case. Fine singers can make the da capo arias into mini-dramas, with an emotional journey between the opening and the altered repeats. Fine directors can emphasize the action between characters even while only one is singing, and place the whole into a compelling narrative context. British director Katie Mitchell is one such artist; we shall look at substantial excerpts from her 2015 production at Aix-en-Provence.

This week's handout (links above) contains a synopsis of the opera. There is a good introduction to Handel's opera music here. And as the production that we shall watch in class is updated, you might care to sample what Alcina looks like in a more traditional production. Other links and video excerpts will be posted immediately after class.