Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 (George Frideric Handel)
Music files
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- (Posted 2006-01-29) CPDL #10037: pp. 1-26: pp. 27-50: pp. 51-74: pp. 75-100: (MIDI)
- Editor: Michael Gibson (submitted 2006-01-29). Score information: Letter, 24 pages, 2.93 MB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: 4 PDF Sections make up complete vocal score (page numbers at bottom, musical numbers at top of page). MIDI files are zipped. Based on Joseph Barnby's SATB rearrangement of choruses.
Excerpts
- (Posted 2008-07-23) CPDL #17685:
- Contributor: David Newman (submitted 2008-07-23). Score information: Letter, 7 pages, 303 kB Copyright: Public Domain
- Edition notes: recit. & aria for bass: "I Rage, I Melt / O Ruddier than the Cherry" Edition in G Minor, piano reduction by Ebenezer Prout
General Information
Title: Acis and Galatea, HWV 49
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Lyricists: John Gay, Alexander Pope and John Hughes
Number of voices: 5vv Voicing: SATTB
with Solo STTB
Soli:
- Galatea - soprano
- Acis - tenor
- Damon - tenor (treble in the 1718 version)
- Polyphemus - bass
- Coridon - tenor (1718 only)
Language: English
Instruments: Orchestra
First published:
Description: There are quite a few incarnations of this work: the serenata/cantata for 3 singers Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (HWV 72) was written in 1708. Handel wrote completely new music for the serenade/masque Acis and Galatea in 1717-18 for 5 singers (published 1722). In 1732 he made a 3 act version borrowing some music from Aci, Galatea e Polifemo as well as other Italian works (and dropping the role of Coridon), and in 1739 he reworked the 1718 version into 2 acts. The 1732 version continued to be revised through 1741. Mozart adapted the work in 1788 (K. 566).
External websites:
- Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 (George Frideric Handel) at the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
- Entry at "Art Song Central" for "O ruddier".
- Wikipedia's entry for "Acis and Galatea".
- Synopsis and Libretto of the opera "Acis and galatea".
- complete scanned score of Chrysander edition from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
- More on Mozart version as staged by Mark Morris
Original text and translations
English text
Recit:
I rage, I rage, I melt, I burn!
The feeble god has stabbed me to the heart.
Thou trusty pine, prop of my god-like steps,
I lay thee by!
Bring me a hundred reeds of decent growth,
to make a pipe for my capacious mouth;
in soft enchanting accents
let me breathe sweet Galatea’s beauty, and my love.
Aria:
O ruddier than the cherry,
O sweeter than the berry,
O nymph more bright than moonshine night,
Like kidlings blithe and merry!
Ripe as the melting cluster,
No lily has such lustre;
Yet hard to tame as raging flame,
And fierce as storms that bluster!