2: Italian Opera in London
Donald Macleod and Christopher Hogwood chart Handel's contributions to the growth of Italian opera in London. Rinaldo,
Handel's first successful opera there, came into being through Handel's friendshipwith Aaron Hill, who was running the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket. Hill knew, through his struggles to make the box office balance, what a difficult task it was to find music that London audiences would accept. He gave Handel his own English version of a play by Giacomo Rossi , and within two weeks Handel had written Rinaldo and begun his operatic career in London.
Rinaldo (excerpts)
Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), David Daniels (countertenor), Academy of Ancient
Music, conductor Christopher Hogwood
Tamerlano (excerpts) MiekevanderSluis (soprano), John Elwes (baritone), Rene Jacobs , Henri Ledroit (counter-tenor), La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, conductor Jean-Claude Malgoire Rodelinda (excerpts)
Adrian Thompson (tenor), Daniel Taylor
(countertenor), Raglan Baroque Players, conductor Nicholas Kraemer
Orlando (Act 2, excerpt)
James Bowman (countertenor), Academy of Ancient Music, conductor Christopher Hogwood Final Chorus (Esther) Chorus and Orchestra of Academy of Ancient Music, director Christopher Hogwood