(Photo: Alciro Theodoro Da Silva) This year’s International Händel Festival in Göttingen got under way with a splendid concert performance of the composer’s 1748 oratorio “Solomon,” to a libretto based on accounts from the Old Testament Books of Kings, Chronicles and Song of Solomon with additional material from Josephus, although the name of the librettist is unknown. Unlike a number {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünscloß) Although “Siroe, re di Persia” managed a good run of 17 performances, following its premiere at the King’s Theatre, London in 1728, Händel never revived the work. Apart from a couple of productions in Brunswick in 1730 and 1735, it lay dormant until the 20th century, has never managed to establish itself in the repertoire, and remains {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünscloß) Among the offerings at this year’s Karlsruhe Händelfestspiele was a performance of “Phèdre,” an opera by the fairly obscure French composer Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. What the connection is to Händel, however, is somewhat of a mystery. There was no explanation provided in the program. The two composers never met; in fact, Lemoyne would have only been eight years {…}