London 1735: Handel was at the height of his fame, but his Royal Academy of Music was a colossus with feet of clay, given the stiff competition from the Opera de la Noblesse.
In 1733, Handel had triumphed with Orlando, based on the epic poem by Ariosto. For this new opus, he drew on the same vein, using the libretto of L'Isola d'Alcina, Riccardo Broschi's first opera seria.
The heroine is the magician Alcina, whose enchanted island provides exotic and spectacular scenes, interspersed with dreamlike or truly ‘furious’ moments, as well as outpourings of love of which Handel is a master. The work was a resounding success, thanks to an anthology of high-flying arias: Handel was at his best with this contrasting libretto, displaying virtuosity and melodic invention, carving out powerful characters for his characters, portrayed with an almost mythical breadth
The heroine is the magician Alcina, whose enchanted island provides exotic and spectacular scenes, interspersed with dreamlike or truly ‘furious’ moments, as well as outpourings of love of which Handel is a master. The work was a resounding success, thanks to an anthology of high-flying arias: Handel was at his best with this contrasting libretto, displaying virtuosity and melodic invention, carving out powerful characters for his characters, portrayed with an almost mythical breadth
