Handel devoted some of his most beautiful vocal music to the enchanting sensibility of the feminine voice, creating strong heroines who embody the Renaissance ideal of accomplished personalities.
Composition History
Handel's operas Rinaldo (1711) and Alcina (1735) are based on the important Italian Renaissance epics, Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata and Ariosto's Orlando furioso, respectively.
Historical Context
During the Renaissance in Italy, women enjoyed individual status and acknowledgement, often influencing the ideas and actions of eminent men.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Handel's heroines, whether historical or mythic, magicians or queens, are complex personalities who embrace frailty to affirm their strength.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Academia Montis Regalis in Mondovì, Italy, over several days in June 2016.
Critical Reception
Handel's oratorios generally enjoyed great popular success, with the notable exception of his favorite, Theodora (1750), which he predicted would not attract audiences due to its Christian and virtuous nature.
Composition History
Handel insisted on bringing adulated sopranos from Italy, such as Francesca Cuzzoni, Faustina Bordoni, and Anna Maria Strada, whose fees reached very high levels.
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