However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the wikipedia article. Galatea uses her magic powers to change her dead lover. Details of the first performance of acis and galatea are scant, but the original autograph score survives and tells us much about the orchestral forces and singers available to.
The tale of acis and galatea was told in book xiii of his fifteen books that made. In the history of opera, acis and galatea occupies a strange niche. Mark morris gets pastoral with opera acis and galatea. Their tale has inspired numerous works of art, including handels pastoral opera of 1718, acis and galatea, with a libretto by john gay, and paintings by lorrain and poussin.
Krannert center for the performing arts, university of illinois at urbanachampaign. The opera is a tale of love between the nymph galatea, shepherd acis, and the jealous giant polyphemus. Libretto probably coauthored by john gay, alexander pope, and john hughes. The opera includes a cast of ten characters and chorus, and is first performed on september 6, 1686 in the town of vendome. He also wrote music for private performances, including acis and galatea and esther, the first english oratorio. In a jealous rage, and spurned by galatea, polyphemus hurls a boulder at acis and mortally wounds him. The english composer john eccles creates acis and galatea. Meanwhile, the monster polyphemus is jealous and threatens acis, while coridon, another shepherd, advises him against violence.
Apr 25, 2014 the opera, with a libretto by john gay, with alexander pope and john hughes, is based on ovids metamorphoses book xiii. The libretto also borrowed freely from john drydens english translation of ovid published in 1717, the story of acis, polyphemus and galatea. The opera, with a libretto by john gay, is based on ovids metamorphoses book xiii. Handels pastoral masque acis and galatea, a banquet of. With my ballet dancerteacher wife, i truly like dance performances, except when i expected to see and hear an opera. Known as the greatest pastoral opera, acis and galatea was composed by handel in 1718. Read the libretto, translated to english, of the english opera acis and galatea by georg handel on opera. F acis and galatea opera mcgegan by nicholas mcgegan and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited. With a libretto by john gay based on ovids metamorphosis, acis and galatea is a pastoral opera portraying a love triangle between a shepherd, a sea nymph, and a cyclops set amidst. Chorus as the royal opera extra chorus rest of cast listed alphabetically. Royal ballet dido and aeneas acis and galatea royal opera house, london wc2. Galatea ye verdant plains and woody mountains, purling streams. So youd be forgiven for not associating immediately his name with opera. Royal opera house presents, toronto public library.
Libretto by john gay and others perhaps alexander pope and john hughes after ovids metamorphoses. Opera theatre companys production of the 1718 work was outstanding. F acis and galatea opera by various artists on amazon music. Thus acis and galatea, this charming story from ovids metamorphoses, put to a beautiful music by handel in form of a mascherada, ends up like a modern dance performance. The text was based on an earlier libretto by antonio salvi, dionisio, re di portogallo dionisius, king of portugal, and adapted by an unknown writer. The first of handels works presented in full for dublin audiences in 1734, nearly a decade before messiah, its easy on the ear and not a hard story to follow. Apr 04, 2009 dido and aeneas acis and galatea royal opera house, london wc2. Libretto by john gay, alexander pope and john hughes. The following is a synopsis for the typical two act presentation of the work that is most often used for modern performances. It is 195 years since the last fullstage performance of acis and galatea at the royal opera house, but just 14 since the only production ever given on its main stage of dido and aeneas, so it was a very happy inspiration that the 250thanniversary of the death of handel and the 350th of the birth of purcell should see these works united.
Acis and galatea hwv 49 is a musical work by george frideric handel with an english text by john gay. Not only handel was mainly an opera composer, but acis and galatea is considered by many the highest form of pastoral opera. Acis and galatea is a mark morris dance group cal performances, berkeley celebrity series of boston production, in association with harrimanjewell series, kansas city. Opera idaho and bbo last collaborated to present glucks orpheus in 2014. Nov 30, 20 t he early opera companys sparkling concert performance of handels 1718 opera acis and galatea, based on book xiii of ovids metamorphoses and directed from the harpsichord by christian curnyn. The story and myth of acis and galatea features pictures from mythology and legend. George frideric handels first dramatic work in english, acis and galatea, is the tale of two mythical lovers who first appeared in roman poet, ovids metamorphoses as with the majority of operas that turn to greek mythology for inspiration, handels opera stays true to legend. He created many versions of the work, transforming it from an english masque, to a bilingual italian and english serenata, and finally to the english language twoact opera that is most commonly performed today.
Sosarme, re di media sosarmes, king of media, hwv 30 is an opera by george frideric handel written in 1732 for the kings theatre in the haymarket, london, where it ran for 12 performances. Polifemo is an opera in three acts by nicola porpora with a libretto by paolo rolli. After handels move to england, he gave the story a new treatment in his pastoral opera acis and galatea with an english libretto provided by john gay. It is the first handel opera produced in opera idahos 47year history. Personen des vorspiels, diana, amalthea, comus, jupiterverso of title page. The opera is based on a combination of two mythological stories involving the cyclops polyphemus. Handels acis and galatea the royal operathe royal ballet. Too short and too episodic to really be considered an opera in the true sense of the word, its light, buoyant score has nevertheless survived 300 years because it is just so good. The libretto by john gay, based on ovids metamorphoses book xiii, tells of the eternal love between the mortal shepherd acis and goddess galatea and how it is doomed by the jealous cyclops polyphemus. Introduction to acis and galatea english national opera.
The opera, with a libretto by john gay, with alexander pope and john hughes, is based on ovids metamorphoses book xiii. It tells of the love between acis, an arcadian shepherd, and galatea, a nymph, and the mortal jealousy of polyphemus, a giant. Initially composed in 1718, the work went through many revisions and was later to be given updated orchestrations by both mozart and mendelssohn. Browse through our libretto list with all libretti on opera, ordered by composer in alphabetical order. The work has been variously described as a serenata, a masque, a pastoral or pastoral opera, a little opera in a letter by the composer while it was being written, an entertainment and by the new grove dictionary of music as an oratorio. Given that the covent garden venue is closed until further notice, its decided to bring opera. Join the beautiful nymph galatea, shepherd acis and the giant polyphemus as. Galatea can do nothing to save him, but the chorus remind her that, although she cannot return him to life, her divine powers do allow her to make him immortal in one way. Floridante hwv 14 is an opera seria in three acts by george frideric handel. The clever libretto must surely have played a part here, though handels tunes are often sublime, his rhythms infectious, his sad arias heartbreaking and his happy ones uplifting. His killing of acis and his being blinded by ulysses the last of five operas porpora composed while residing in london, the opera premiered on 1 february 1735 at kings theatre, and featured the famed castrato. Since acis and galatea has been adapted many times, it is impossible to provide a single synopsis that accurately reflects every presentation of the work.
An irish pub setting for acis and galatea in dublin by. The story of acis and galatea was told by ovid in book iii of his metamorphoses, and it is also the subject of a 1732 opera by georg friedrich handel. The royal opera house is screening free shows online. Galatea, acis not showrs to larks so pleasing, nor sunshine to the bee, not sleep to toil so easing, as these dear smiles to me.
Operas based on myths and legends english national opera. Acis and galatea libretto english translation opera. Handels pastoral opera is a tale of love, tragedy and liberation. The nymph galatea and the shepherd acis are in love. Although the original libretto was by john gay, both alexander pope and. At this, galatea is able to rejoice at the fact that she can turn him into an eternal fountain, and the opera ends with she and the chorus celebrating acis immortalisation. The sea nymph galatea pledges herself to the mortal shepherd, acis, but their idyllic existence is torn apart when the envious cyclops, polyphemus, arrives to claim galatea as his own. Acis and galatea was written in its first english form for performance at cannons, the house of james brydges, later duke of chandos. It follows the english pastoral genre and was described by handel as a little opera, although it was not always fully staged, even in handels lifetime. Acis decides to fight polyphemus despite damons warnings. For a hammer everything looks like a nail, and for a choreographer any opera looks like a dance. Jealousy and devotion lie at the heart of handels adaptation of ovids classic tale of eternal love, acis and galatea. T he early opera companys sparkling concert performance of handels 1718 opera acis and galatea, based on book xiii of ovids metamorphoses and directed from the.
The chorus warns acis and galatea of the jealous monster polyphemus, who loves galatea. The story is based on the seventh fable in the thirteenth book of the metamorphoses the sad story which galatea, daughter of nereus, tells to scylla. Acis and galatea tv movie 2009 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The nymph was passionately in love with the shepherd acis, son of faunus and of the nymph symaethis, and pursued him incessantly. A list of the top opera music composers and their compositions. Acis and galatea are characters from greek mythology later associated together in ovids metamorphoses. Details of the first performance of acis and galatea are scant, but the original autograph score survives and tells us much about the orchestral forces and singers available to handel during his time at cannons. A shepherd, acis, and his lover, galatea, a sea nymph, are together when the jealous giant polyphemus crushes. Acis and galatea hwv 49 is a musical work by george frideric handel with an english text by. Acis and galatea was the opera of handels most performed during his lifetime.
Acis and galatea is a tale concerning transient love, beauty and jealousy, and is told through music that encompasses the joyful and the melancholic handels first dramatic work in the english language, the story follows the nymph galatea and the shepherd acis, their love and adoration for each other, and the envious giant polyphemus who threatens their happiness. Galatea turned it into a river and named it after him. There have been many versions of the opera, but the one that still survives today is an adaptation of the version handel composed in 1718. Pastoral contributor names handel, george frideric 16851759 composer. Acis and galatea, last produced by opera theatre company as recently as 2009, is a curious piece of music theatre. The work was originally devised as a oneact masque. The jealous cyclops, polyphemus, bludgeoned acis with a boulder and, in response, a distraught galatea transformed him into the sicilian river that bears his name.
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