Female Roles for High Voice

Italian opera was at the centre of Handel’s output for over 35 years with solo arias constituting one of the most important elements in Baroque opera. Dramatic roles, with their various moods and reactions, are characterised through arias. A large number of Handel’s operas also contain at least one entire scene for two to three voices. These numbers make use not only of similar lyrical or expressive forms of expression such as the arias, but also employ contrapuntal elements as found in Handel’s chamber music.

Based on the Bärenreiter vocal scores, three volumes were published which contain some of Handel’s best-known arias, duets and trios, together with less well-known numbers of equally high musical quality. The arias are arranged chronologically, reflecting the order in which the operas were composed.

Editor: Burrows, Donald