G. F. Handel - "Lascia ch'io pianga," from Rinaldo

performed at Staunton Music Festival August 23, 2019 Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton, VA Daniel Moody, countertenor Fiona Hughes, violin Jacob Ashworth, violin Ingrid Matthews, violin Kathleen Overfield-Zook, viola Carl Donakowski, cello Erik Higgins, violone Adam Cockerham, theorbo Mark Shuldiner, harpsichord video by Stewart Searle NOTES Invented by Torquato Tasso for Gerusalemme liberata (1581), the legend of Rinaldo and Armide was set as an opera on many occasions, including by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759). In 1711 Handel offered Rinaldo as the opening salvo in his campaign to conquer London audiences with Italian opera seria. Six months earlier Handel had become court composer to Prince Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover in Germany. Georg would eventually become George I of England in 1714, but Handel preceded his royal employer in London by several years. London audiences knew little about Handel in 1711, but Italian opera was already enjoying great popularity. Having lived and studied in Italy for several years, Handel was well-placed to exploit the latest craze. He received a commission in late 1710 to compose music based on Tasso. Written in barely two weeks, the glittering score for Rinaldo was successful from the start and would be revived many times throughout the 1720s and 1730s. Considering the blistering speed of composition, and knowing something about Handel’s usual working methods, we know that he borrowed heavily from his own previous...