Handel's Samson

[strange_complex]

The actual reason I went up to Birmingham at the weekend was to attend a performance of Handel's oratorio, Samson at the Symphony Hall. In fact, it was a very Handel-intensive weekend. The time that wasn't spent at the concert was mainly spent copying endless CDs of Handel operas, borrowed from my Mum's friend Jean, in preparation for a course on

Comments

[megamole]

Why, Handel, why? What did you think you were doing?

Here's a little secret.

Early in his life, Handel didn't know English very well. When he was writing the Coronation Anthems for King George, he had to write some of the word-settings out phonetically all'italiano, for instance "Chinks dauchters wer dhy onorabil womin".

Also, it's quite possible (and I could tell you if I heard the chorus) that he borrowed the music from an earlier piece. In which case he would (as I currently do when putting on my favourite waistcoat) have to squeeze the corners in a bit.

P.S. Which operas do you now have in your collection?

[strange_complex]

Handel didn't know English very well

Um - yes, I know. Read the post properly!

Which operas do you now have in your collection?

It was all a bit of a whirl, and they're now at home, so I can't double-check. But off the top of my head, I think I've now acquired Alcina, Serse, Ariodante, Amadigi, Rinaldo, Radamisto and a disk of Janet Baker singing a cantata called 'Lucrezia' and various operatic arias.

[megamole]

Um - yes, I know. Read the post properly!
Point.

Trust my boss to come over while I was halfway through it...