Academy of Ancient Music Handel's Heroines, 12, 19 and 21 March by Academy of Ancient Music

Handelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heroines

Cambridge, London, UK and International performances

AC A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C

19-20

ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC

Concert Programme

2019-20

AAM tops the Charts! Handel: Brockes-Passion Our recent release of Handel's Brockes-Passion made it to No.1 in the UK’s Specialist Classical Chart and received excellent reviews: “It’s the most astonishing piece… so humane, so dramatic … it’s a beautifully made recording… and this is just a beautiful set to hold, to look through – it sets the context perfectly and you seriously get value for money with this entire recording… I’d listen to this again and again.“ Andrew McGregor and Elin Manahan-Thoms, BBC Radio 3 CD Review, October 2019 “superb recording … combines serious musicological and historical scholarship with vibrant musicianship and artistry… The AAM Chorus are in fine voice… a Passion for all times and all places.” Claire Seymour, Opera Today, October 2019 “Please welcome this exciting Brockes-Passion, in such a vibrant and luxurious recording.” Geoff Brown, The Times 5* review, October 2019 “In Egarr’s hands, this neglected work is revealed as a lost masterpiece … restores it magnificently to the canon… the solo singing is outstanding.” The Sunday Times, Album of the Week, September 2019

For further details of this outstanding 3-CD deluxe package visit aam.co.uk/listen.

Price £40 (3CD, deluxe)

ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC 2019-29 SEASON

Handel's Heroines Academy of Ancient Music

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)

Laurence Cummings

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (1748)

director & harpsichord Mary Bevan soprano Jennifer France soprano

Volate, amori (1734)

Thursday 12 March 2020 7.30pm

Suite of Dances from Ariodante (1735)

Thursday 19 March 2020 7.30pm

Milton Court Concert Hall, London Recorded for BBC Radio 3

Saturday 21 March 2020 7.30pm Malvern Theatres, Malvern

Felicissima quest'alma (1710) Lasica la spina cogli la rosa (1707) Concerto Grosso Op.3 No.2 in B flat Major (1734)

O Ecstasy of Happiness and Myself I shall adore (1744) M'adora l'idol mio, gode il mio core (1713) Overture to Rinaldo (1711) Verso gia l'alma col sangue (1708) O Sleep, why dost thou Leave Me (1744)

Will the sun forget to streak (1748)

Bless'd the Day (1748)

20-minute interval

Overture to Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (1707) Troppo oltraggi la mia fede, alma fiera (1738)

Handel's Heroines

West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge Live-streamed on Facebook

Dolce riposo ed inoccente pace (1713)

Concerto Grosso Op.3 No.6 in D Major (1715-18)

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Welcome from Chief Executive, Academy of Ancient Music Welcome to a terrific evening of Handel highs – two exceptional sopranos and the world’s foremost Handel musical director at the helm. We are delighted to partner for the first time with the London Handel Festival to present this concert at Milton Court, recorded by BBC Radio 3 for later broadcast, and to continue our season’s experiment with Facebook Live from our concert at West Road – do visit AAM’s Facebook page to watch this concert again! We’re very proud that March sees the release of two new recordings featuring AAM. Last Easter we recorded Bach’s St. Matthew Passion live across two concerts at King’s College Cambridge, directed by Sir Stephen Cleobury. Stephen’s last major recording, this release (on the King’s College label) is the partner to the well-received St. John we recorded together a couple of years ago. Towards the end of March, ONYX Classics will release an album of Beethoven arias with the brilliant soprano Chen Reiss. Immortal, Beloved features AAM under Richard Egarr in a superb selection of Beethoven in this anniversary year.

And if that were not enough to satisfy your ears, 1 May will see the release on our own label, AAM Records, of the world premiere recording of Francisco Valls’ Missa Regalis, with the Choir of Keble College, Oxford. Valls is a very interesting

composer, who’s development writing in the mid-1700s led to fellow-composers across Spain publishing pamphlets denouncing his harmonic language: you can hear it for yourself on our new recording, available tonight ahead of release, from the AAM desk in the foyer. Thank you to all who voted for Handel: Brockes Passion in the BBC Music Magazine Awards, we wait in hope for the awards ceremony in April. If you don’t yet have a copy – or would like some as gifts for fellow Handel-lovers – we’ve dropped the price back down to just £30 across these Handel-focussed concerts. I hope we will see you again in April for our final London and Cambridge concerts of the season, both of which will offer a pre-concert wine-tasting Forgotten Italian Grape Varieties, to go with Castello, a forgotten Italian composer, courtesy of Italian specialists, Bat & Bottle; and the concert will feature soprano Lucie Chartin and AAM’s Music Director Richard Egarr in works by Castello, Monteverdi and Strozzi. We look forward to seeing you there.

Alexander Van Ingen Chief Executive Academy of Ancient Music

CHA BER MSIC

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts at LSO St Luke’s Selected Fridays, January to June 2020 BACH UP CLOSE | RUSSIAN ROOTS ANTOINE TAMESTIT & FRIENDS Featuring Alina Ibragimova, Maxim Rysanov, Federico Colli, Lawrence Power, Pavel Kolesnikov, Katharina Konradi, Masato Suzuki, Jörg Widmann, Dénes Várjon, Colin Currie and more

lso.co.uk/lunchtimeconcerts 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG

ESSENTIAL AUTUMN ALBUMS Lars Ulrik Mortensen & Concerto Copenhagen – Danish National Baroque Orchestra

N EW

Four Seasons – after Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi recomposed by Karl Aage Rasmussen. Musical direction: Magnus Fryklund & Lars Ulrik Mortesnen Album release: 6/9 2019 DACAPO 8.226220

The Brandenburg Concertos No. 1–6 »Unique sounds in Danish – Concerto Copenhagen is the only ensemble playing on original instruments in Scandinavia which has managed to have an international breakthrough – rightfully as their recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos shows.« Marco Frei, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, October 2018 CPO 555 158–2

coco.dk/en/discography/

MAY 29 TO JUNE 14, 2020 IN HALLE (SAALE), GERMANY in authentic venues in the city of George Frideric Handel’s birth

EXPERIENCE TESEO (HWV 9) OTTONE, Ré di Germania (HWV 15) MESSIAH (HWV 56) GALA CONCERTS with Valer Sabadus, Nathalie Stutzmann, Daniel Behle, Iestyn Davies and much more

SALES START NOVEMBER 28, 2019 handel-festival.com/en MORE INFORMATION: festspiele@haendelhaus.de

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Support AAM You can live it, love it and get lost in it – and not want to go home! AAM Supporter

than ever. You can support us by joining the AAM Academy or AAM Associates and by doing so, you play an essential role in sustaining excellence in the concert hall, classroom and recording studio, bringing more early music experiences to more people every year.

AAM Academy: with a donation of £1000+ p/a

Our donors make our music happen: affordable concerts, accessible education and high-level research. Over the past 40 years AAM has become a global authority on the performance of baroque and classical music, and is now the most listened-to ensemble of its kind online. As well as a world-class orchestra, we are also a music charity, and as we approach AAM’s 50th Anniversary in 2023 we need to secure our future, fulfilling our mission to explore, preserve and reveal our rich treasure-house of early music.

Your support as an Academy member develops our artistic activity and longevity, bringing our music to millions every year, season after season. As an Academy member you will be at the very heart of the Orchestra. You will have opportunities to meet the musicians, immerse yourself in our music, and explore our work behind the scenes. With the support of our Academy members, our artistic vision and achievements will grow with strength and sustainability.

To succeed, the loyalty and generosity of our supporters is more important now

Academy members have the additional opportunity to make an even greater

difference by sponsoring a specific component of AAM’s work – it could be a concert; the Leader or the scores from which AAM performs.

AAM Associates: with a donation of £300-£999 p/a

Your support as an Associate will sustain our music-making every season. As an Associate you will be close to the Academy of Ancient Music’s work with opportunities to experience our musicmaking beyond the concert-platform, as well as being the first to hear about news, developments and plans for the future. To discuss sponsorship opportunities or to find out more about how you can help AAM, please contact Liz Brinsdon (liz.brinsdon@aam.co.uk).

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Thank you

Programme Notes Dr Julia P Ellis

The AAM is indebted to the following trusts, companies and individuals for their support of the orchestra’s work.

Digital: Supporter Database Annual License Philip Jones

MUSIC SPONSORS Music Director Matthew Ferrey Leader Chris and Alison Rocker Sub-Principal First Violin Graham Nicholson Principal Viola Elizabeth and Richard de Friend Sub-Principal Viola Nicholas and Judith Goodison Principal Cello Dr Christopher and Lady Juliet Tadgell Principal Flute Terence and Sian Sinclair Principal Oboe David and Linda Lakhdhir Principal Clarinet Clive Butler Principal Trumpet John and Madeleine Tattersall Principal Theorbo John and Joyce Reeve

Discounted tickets for under 26s Philip Jones

Mr Peter Tausig Stephen Thomas Mr Anthony Travis Mrs Janet Unwin Julie and Richard Webb Mark West Mr Charles Woodward Tony and Jackie Yates-Watson and other anonymous donors

AAM ACADEMY

AAM ASSOCIATES

Lady Alexander of Weedon Dr Carol Atack and Alex van Someren Elise Badoy Dauby Julia and Charles Bland Richard and Elena Bridges Mrs D Broke Hugh Burkitt Jo and Keren Butler Daphne and Alan Clark Kate Donaghy The Hon Simon Eccles Marshall Field CBE Tina Fordham Malcolm and Rosalind Gammie Madeleine Gantley Christopher Hogwood CBE, in memoriam Heather Jarman Mr and Mrs Evan Llewellyn Anne Machin Roger Mayhew Alessandro Orsaria Christopher Purvis CBE and Phillida Purvis MBE Mrs Julia Rosier Sir Konrad and Lady Schiemann Mr Michael Smith Mrs S Wilson Stephens Christopher Stewart

Dr Aileen Adams CBE Angela and Roderick Ashby-Johnson Marianne Aston Professor John and Professor Hilary Birks Charles and Ann Bonney Mrs Stephanie Bourne Adam and Sara Broadbent George and Kay Brock Drs Nick and Helen Carroll Derek and Mary Draper Nikki Edge Christopher and Jill Evans The Hon. William Gibson The Hon. Mr and Mrs Philip Havers Miles and Anna Hember Mrs Helen Higgs Andrew Jackson Alison Knocker Richard and Romilly Lyttelton Richard Meade Mr Peter and Mrs Frances Meyer Mrs Marilyn Minchom Goldberg Professors Eric Nye and Carol Frost Nick and Margaret Parker Jane Rabagliati and Raymond Cross Chris and Valery Rees Michael and Giustina Ryan Dr Robert Sansom

The Hon. Zita Savile Thomas and Joyce Seaman Mr Peter Shawdon Mr Sarah Shepley and Mr Kevin Feeney Colin and Brenda Soden Fiona Stewart Professor Tony Watts OBE Peter and Margaret Wynn Patricia C Yeiser, USA and other anonymous donors

Trusts & Foundations Ambache Charitable Trust Amberstone Trust Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation Constance Travis Charitable Trust Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation The Derek Hill Foundation J Paul Getty Jr General Charitable Trust John Armitage Charitable Trust John Ellerman Foundation Limoges Charitable Trust The Perry Family Charitable Trust Sir John Fisher Foundation William A Cadbury Charitable Trust and other anonymous trusts and foundations

COMPANIES Savills VCCP

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Explore If you have enjoyed this evening's concert, you may be interested in the following releases. In addition, do visit Academy of Ancient Music's YouTube page (www.youtube.com/acadofancientmusic), which features new music videos of Mary Bevan and Jennifer France singing repertoire from tonight’s concert.

The Divine Muse

Smith & Handel

Handel: Samson

Handel: Judas Maccabeus

Mary Bevan, Joseph Middleton [Signum, SIGCD606]

Ellicott, Bevan, Bevan, Wyn, Dandy, Brook, Dunedin Consort / John Butt [Linn, CKD599]

Julian Perkins, Harpsichord [Chandos, CHAN0807]

Fernandes, NDR Chor, Festspiel Orcheter Gottingen / Laurence Cummings [Accent, ACC26410]

Handel’s Queens: Cuzzoni and Faustina Lucy Crowe, Mary Bevan, London Early Opera / Bridget Cunningham [Signum, SIGCD579]

Handel’s Last Prima Donna: Giulia Frasi in London

You can find many of AAM's recordings at www.prestomusic.com/aam. Receive £5 off when you spend £25 or more at Presto Classical with voucher code AAM2018.

Ruby Hughes, OAE / Laurence Cummings [Chandos, CHSA0403]

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

AAM Quick Pick Each concert Lars Henriksson picks out one key thing to listen out for. This evening's concert focuses on Handel's lyrical soprano, but it is punctuated by two of his Concerti Grossi that hold their own charms. Arcangelo Corelli was a huge source of inspiration to the young Handel during his stay in Italy (1706-09), and his 18 Concerti Grossi (Op.3 has six and Op.6 has 12) were modelled on the great Italian master, who was widely acknowledged as the father of the Concerto Grosso. Unlike the solo concerto, the Concerto Grosso consists of a “concertino group”, normally two violins and a cello, and a “ripieno group”, playing the tuttis. This compositional style was hugely popular throughout Europe for many decades to come and Handel was an ardent follower. His 12 Concerti Grossi Op.6, very much copy Corelli’s original setup with two solo violins and solo cello, but in his six concerti Op.3, Handel leaves the beaten path. Here he introduces a wide range of

instruments: one flute (No.3), two recorders (No.1), two oboes, bassoon and solo organ, thus creating a completely different range of colours, rendering these concertos some of the most popular of the baroque orchestral repertoire. The programme tonight features numbers 2 and 6. Pay particular attention to the second movement (Largo) of Concerto Grosso No.2, where two solo cellos cushion a lonely oboe, playing one of the most beautiful tunes by the composer, showcasing his own take on the Italian Concerto Grosso.

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Programme notes Texts start on page 13 Increasingly, attention is being drawn – and rightly so – to the relative absence of women in classical musical history. Prior to the 20th century, few female composers feature in mainstream historical narratives. However, one place that women definitely shared equal status with men (and sometimes even enjoyed greater remuneration than their male counterparts) was on the opera stages of 18th-century London. Though Handel never married (indeed, his ambiguous sexuality has been the subject of some scrutiny by musicologists), his music for the female characters in both his operas and oratorios demonstrates a clear affinity with the female perspective. Written for characters across a wide range of historical and geographical locations, Handel’s arias traverse lust, jealousy, pity and love via revenge and regret. In this programme, which also incorporates some of Handel’s finest instrumental music, we hear how he captured and distilled the

psyche of his female subjects, bringing each of them to life with their own genuine persona. The ubiquitous "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" prefaces the third act of Handel’s oratorio Solomon, which was premiered at Covent Garden in March, 1748. Its energy depicts the preparations being made for the visit of Nicaule, Queen of Sheba, to Solomon’s Jerusalem, signifying her renowned elegance and beauty. Before he turned his attention to the biblical oratorios of the 1740s, Handel had been primarily engaged with the production of Italian operas. Ariodante (1734) was based on an anonymous libretto that drew on 16th-century Ludovico Ariosto’s epic Orlando Furioso, a commonly visited resource for 18th-century dramatists. However, in this version, the action is transported to medieval Scotland. "Volate amori" is sung in the opening act by Ginevra, daughter of the King of Scotland, as she

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Programme notes continued

ecstatically professes her love for her fiance, Prince Ariodante. Its rapid scales and sequences convey the intensity of her optimism, before events take a sudden turn for the worse. By contrast, "Dolce riposo ed innocente pace" is more subdued. Taken from Act II of the five-act Teseo (premiered in 1713), it is sung by the sorceress Medea, who tells of her "sweet repose", accompanied by a plangent oboe implying a certain sense of irony, emphasised by the ominous-sounding accompanying strings. Shortly afterward, King Egeo announces his intention to marry Agilea instead of Medea, and her "sweet innocence" quickly turns to a vengeful rage and she enlists the help of demons to torment the lovers. "Felicissima quest’alma" is from Handel’s dramatic cantata La terra è liberata, better known as Apollo e Dafne, which he had probably been working on before he left Venice in 1710. The

anonymous libretto draws on a poetic translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, recounting the amorous advances of Apollo toward the nymph Dafne, who ultimately rejects him and turns herself into a tree. Accompanied by plucked strings and a beautifully lyrical solo oboe line, this aria marks the point where Apollo first sees Dafne, instantly becoming infatuated by both her voice and beauty. While Italian opera was all the rage in 1730s London, after moving to the new Theatre Royal at Covent Garden Handel also drew some inspiration from the French tradition. As part of his new venture, the theatre impresario John Rich employed a dance troupe led by the famous French dancer and choreographer Marie Sallé. And in Handel’s two operas for the 1735 season, Ariodante and Alcina, he incorporated a series of dances, in a similar manner as Lully had pioneered in Paris. In Ariodante, Handel included dance sequences in each of the three acts that fulfil an important diegetic function, as well as

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

injecting an added physical dimension to the on-stage drama.

for a range of functions. He frequently took music from dramatic contexts and adapted it as purely instrumental music. His Concerto Grosso Op.3, With its understated beauty, "Lascia la spina, cogli No.2 in B flat Major was included in a set published la rosa" is one of Handel’s most exquisite arias by John Walsh in 1734 (most likely without the – something he evidently realised, composer’s consent), though revisiting it several times throughout it reused a significant amount his career. It first appeared in Almira, previously composed music. Women shared equal of Handel’s first opera, written in 1705, In particular, its first and third status with men ... when he was a lowly member of the movements are lifted directly orchestra at the Hamburg opera. Later from the sinfonia of Handel’s on the opera stages of in Rome, he repurposed it as Piacere’s 18th-century London Brockes-Passion (a new edition (Pleasure) aria in the second part of his of which was performed and allegorical oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e recorded to critical acclaim by del Disinganno (1707), as Piacere attempts to seduce AAM last Easter). Bellezza (Beauty) into taking the easy path. Handel reused the tune yet again in Rinaldo, in the now "Will the sun forget to streak" returns to Solomon. more famous version Lascia ch'io pianga. It is the final aria, sung by the Queen of Sheba herself, who extols her admiration of Solomon Handel also produced a significant amount of and the glories of his kingdom. With yet another instrumental music in London, in a variety of styles beguiling solo oboe line, it provides a moment

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Programme notes continued

of brief repose before the ensuing majesty of the oratorio’s concluding duet and chorus. Like the previous concerto, the two-movement Concert Grosso Op.3, No.6 in D Major also makes use of recycled materials. Its opening movement first appeared in Ottone (1723), while the Allegro that follows was borrowed from the final section of the overture to Il pastor fido (1712). Handel also actually used this movement as part of his first organ concerto, and probably returned to it during one of his oratorio performances in 1733, the dazzling keyboard writing giving some sense of Handel’s noted prowess at both the harpsichord and organ. Faced with the declining popularity of Italian opera in London, from the 1740s onward Handel turned his attention to composing biblical oratorios. Although the librettist William Congreve had intended it for an opera, Semele’s text was adjusted (possibly by Newburgh Hamilton, who had done a similar job

for Samson) and set by Handel "in the Manner of an Oratorio". "Myself I shall adore" comes in the third act, as a disguised Juno enters with a magical mirror, tricking Semele into thinking she is the most beautiful being in the world. Handel uses the strings to echo the virtuosic vocal part, imaginatively illustrating the mirror’s glimmering reflection. "M’adora l’idol mio" presents another female character from Teseo. It is sung by Agilea in the first act, who expresses her love for Teseo – despite his father Egeo’s wish to marry her. Requiring extreme vocal agility, it was sung at the premiere by the distinguished Italian soprano Margherita de L’Epine, who first made her name in Venice before embarking on a career in London. Not just Handel’s first opera for the city, Rinaldo was, in fact, the first Italian opera written to be specifically written for the London stage. Set in Jerusalem during the First Crusade, the overture gives some sense of

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

"O Sleep, why dost thou leave me" returns to Semele, to the second act where Semele awakes from a lucid dream in which she was with her lover, Jupiter. In the 1744 premiere, Semele was sung by the French soprano Élisabeth Duparc, who One of Handel’s first dramatic works had trained in Florence before in English, the much-loved Acis and relocating to London, and during Galatea was composed in 1718 at the 1740s became Handel’s The dazzling keyboard Cannons, the residence of James favoured soprano. Charles Burney writing gives some sense Brydges, First Duke of Chandos. wrote of her "lark-like execution", of Handel's noted prowess providing some insight to her However, this was in actual fact Handel’s second attempt at setting vocal capabilities, which Handel at both the harpsichord Ovid’s myth. "Verso gia l’alma col must have regarded highly in and organ. sangue" is sung by Acis in an earlier writing such a beautiful but Italian-language version, Aci, Galatea exposed aria. e Polfemo, which was composed by Handel in Naples ten years previously in 1708. He sings this aching "Bless’d be the day" introduces another queen lament to his beloved Galatea, having fallen from a from Solomon – Solomon’s Queen. To add to the cliff after being pursued by the giant Polifemo, as the confusion, in the premiere both this role and the bittersweet suspensions and gently pulsing strings Queen of Sheba were sung by the same celebrated echo his fading heartbeat. Italian soprano, Giulia Frasi, who also appeared in the drama that is to follow, before the curtain rises to reveal Goffredo and his Crusader troops laying siege to Jerusalem. Rinaldo was a clearly a hit, enjoying 15 performances across the 1710-11 season.

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Programme notes continued the premieres of Handel’s later oratorios Susanna, Theodora and Jephtha. This aria comes in the second scene of the opening act, after Solomon has declared his love for his wife (it is, however, worth noting that the biblical Solomon was reported to have had numerous wives, perhaps suggesting a certain moral bent on the part of Handel’s anonymous librettist). Having already heard an aria from Piacere, the three-part Overture to Il Trionfo e del Tempo e del Disinganno gives a quick foretaste of the three characters encountered by Bellezza – Pleasure, Time and Enlightenment – as we hear the Allegro, Adagio and Allegro in quick succession. The final piece in the programme is the highly charged duet "Troppo oltraggi la mia fede, alma fiera" from Act Three of Serse. Premiered in 1738, it was to be the last of Handel’s works for the King’s Theatre before he moved to Covent Garden. This duet gives an insight into the fiery relationship

between Arsamene, the brother of Serse (i.e. Xerxes), and Romilda, with whom Arsamene is in love. Though the pair quarrel at multiple points in the drama, in the lieto fine ("happy ending") the pair are eventually married. In her rejection of the powerful Serse and ensuring she gives just as good as she gets in her spats with Arsamene, Handel renders Romilda as a particularly strong female character, who is rarely backward in coming forward. Programme notes © David Lee

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Texts Volate, amori Volate, amori, di due bei cori la gioia immensa a celebrar! Il gaudio è tanto, che come è quanto, dir non saprei debba esulta. Fly little cupids and celebrate the immense joy of two beautiful hearts! The joy is so great that I cannot express how much to rejoice. Dolce riposo ed inoccente pace Dolce Riposo, ed innocente pace, Ben felice, è quel sen che vi possiede. Sweet repose and innocent peace! Truly happy is the soul that possesses both of you. Felicissima quest'alma Felicissima quest'alma Ch'ama sol la libertà. Non v'è pace, non v'è calma Per chi sciolto il cor non ha.

That soul is the happiest That loves its liberty alone. There is no peace or calm For those whose heart is not free. Lasica la spina cogli la rosa Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte, e che sospiri la libertà. Let me weep over my cruel fate, and let me sigh for my lost liberty. Il duolo infranga queste ritorte, de' miei martiri sol per pietà. May sorrow shatter these chains, of my torments just out of mercy. Will the sun forget to streak Will the sun forget to streak Eastern skies with amber ray, When the dusky shades to break He unbars the gates of day? Then demand if Sheba's queen E'er can banish from her thought All the splendour she has seen, All the knowledge thou hast taught.

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Texts continued O Ecstasy of Happiness and Myself I shall adore Recitative Oh, ecstasy of happiness! Celestial graces I discover in each feature! Air Myself I shall adore, If I persist in gazing. No object sure before Was ever half so pleasing. M’adora l’idol mio, gode il mio core Recitative Ah che sol per Teseo arde quest’alma; Del Talamo Real, non cura il petto, E non sente altro ardore, ch’il primo che fu acceso entro del core. Scaccerò dal mio seno, ogn’altro affetto; Ed avrà del mio amor solo la palma Teseo, l’amato bene; E dolci anche per lui saran le pene. Ah, for Theseus alone does my heart burn! For the royal bed it has no desire

And it feels no other passion Than that which first enflamed my soul. I shall drive all other passions from my breast; And the victory palm of my love shall be won only By Theseus, my dear beloved; And it will be pleasing to suffer for him. Aria M’adora l’idol mio Gode il mio core Fedel gli sono anch’io; Vivo contenta. Né vuò che de miei danni E dei sofferti affanni Il cor si penta. My idol adores me And my heart rejoices For I am faithful to him still And I live in peace Nor do I wish that my troubles And the sorrows I have felt Should weigh down my heart.

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Verso gia l’alma col sangue Verso già l’alma col sangue lento palpita il mio cor. Già la vita manca e langue per trofeo d’empio rigor. Now I pour out my soul with my blood slowly beats my heart. Now my life fades and languishes as a trophy for evil heartlessness. O Sleep, why dost thou Leave Me O sleep, why dost thou leave me, Why thy visionary joys remove? O sleep, again deceive me, To my arms restore my wand'ring love! Bless'd the Day Bless'd the day when first my eyes Saw the wisest of the wise! Bless'd the day when I was led To ascend the nuptial bed! But completely bless'd the day, On my bosom as he lay, When he call'd my charms divine, Vowing to be only mine.

Troppo oltraggi la mia fede, alma fiera Romilda Troppo oltraggi la mia fede, alma fiera, core ingrato! You insult my loyalty beyond measure, merciless soul, ungrateful heart! Arsamene Troppo inganni la mia fede, alma fiera, core ingrato! You deceive my loyalty beyond measure, merciless soul, ungrateful heart! Romilda È tiranna la mercede che riceve il mio petto innamorato. A mercy most tyrannical confronts my loving breast! Arsamene Non è questa la mercede, che si deve al mio petto innamorato. This is not the mercy deserved by my enraptured breast!

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Laurence Cummings director and harpsichord

He has conducted productions for English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Gothenburg Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, Opéra de Lyon, Theater an der Wien, Opera North, Garsington Opera, Buxton International Festival and at the Linbury Theatre Covent Garden.

Laurence Cummings is one of Britain’s most exciting and versatile exponents of historical performance, both as conductor and harpsichord player. He has been Musical Director of the London Handel Festival since 1999 and Artistic Director of the Göttingen International Handel Festival since 2012. He also acts as Music Director for Orquestra Barocca Casa da Musica Porto and is the William Crotch Professor of Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music.

He regularly conducts the English Concert and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has worked with the Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Minnesota), Kansas City Symphony, Handel and Haydn Society (Boston), National Symphony Orchestra (Washington), Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Wiener Akademie, Musikkcollegium Winterthur, Jerusalem Symphony and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra.

His numerous recordings include the first recording of Handel’s newly discovered Gloria with Emma Kirkby on BIS and recital discs of solo harpsichord music for Naxos. A solo disc of Handel arias with Angelika Kirschlager and the Basel Chamber Orchestra on Sony BMG was followed up by a recording of duets with Lawrence Zazzo and Nuria Rial, also with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. He conducts the English Concert and recorder player Maurice Steger on a recording of Corelli concertos for Harmonia Mundi. Highlights of 2019-20 include a new production of Belshazzar at Zürich Opera, Saul at the Théâtre du Châtelet; along with appearances with the Croatian Baroque Ensemble, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and the MDR Orchester; as well as his regular commitments at the London and Göttingen Handel Festivals and Casa da Musica.

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Mary Bevan soprano

list 2019. She is a winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist award and UK Critics’ Circle Award for Exceptional Young Talent in music.

Praised by Opera for her “dramatic wit and vocal control” in stand-out performances on opera and concert platforms, Mary Bevan enjoys huge success in baroque, classical, and contemporary repertoire, and appears regularly with leading orchestras and ensembles around the world. She has been awarded an MBE (Member of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s birthday honours

In the 2019-20 season, Mary debuts as Eurydice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld for English National Opera, and as Sifare in Mozart’s Mitridate for Garsington Opera. She reprises the role of Rose Maurrant in Weill’s Street Scene for Opera de Monte Carlo, a role she debuted successful for Teatro Real in 2018, and will tour as Diana in Iphigenie en Tauride with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Don Giovanni, and her debut as Merab in Saul for the Adelaide Festival. For the Royal Opera House she created the role of Lila in David Bruce’s The FireworkMaker’s Daughter, sang Barbarina in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro on the main stage, and the title role in Rossi’s Orpheus at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

She recently garnered praise for her Royal Danish Opera debut as Bellezza in Il Trionfo del tempo e del desinganno, for the title role in Turnage’s new opera Coraline for the Royal Opera at the Barbican, as well as for her return to the English National Opera as Zerlina in

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Jennifer France soprano

Winner of the 2018 Critics’ Circle Emerging Talent (Voice) Award, Jennifer France trained at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, where she won many prizes, including the prestigious Patron’s Award, and was awarded the Principal’s Prize at graduation for exceptional all-round studentship. She was an Emerging Artist at Scottish Opera where she sang Dalinda (Ariodante) and Despina (Così fan tutte),

returning as The Controller (Flight), Ice in the world premiere of Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene, Giulia (La scala di seta) and Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos). Roles elsewhere have included Marzelline (Fidelio) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) for Garsington Opera, Witness 1 / Singer 1 / Woman 1 in the premiere of George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence for the Royal Opera, London, Ophelia in Brett Dean’s Hamlet for Glyndebourne On Tour, Her in Pascal Dusapin’s Passion for Music Theatre Wales, Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) for Opera Holland Park, the title role in Semele at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) for Opera North and Zerbinetta for the Nederlandse Reisopera. Concert engagements have included Brett Dean’s And Once I Played Ophelia with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Messiah with Huddersfield Choral Society and Mahler Symphony No.8 with

the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Three Choirs Festival, as well as performances with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Israel Camerata, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, CBSO, the London Mozart Players, the London Sinfonietta and the RSNO. Engagements during 2019-20 include her debut at the Salzburg Festival singing Pascal Dusapin’s Medeamaterial, Alice in Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground for the Royal Opera, London, Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Scottish Opera, The Princess in Philip Glass’s Orphée for ENO, Beethoven’s Christ On the Mount of Olives with the Hallé, George Benjamin’s Into the Little Hill with Ensemble Intercontemporain and the premiere of Stuart MacRae’s Prometheus Symphony with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Lammermuir Festival.

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Who we are and what we do The Academy of Ancient Music is an orchestra with a worldwide reputation for excellence in baroque and classical music. It takes inspiration directly from the music’s composers, using historically informed techniques, period-specific instruments and original sources to bring music to life in committed, vibrant performances. Founded by Christopher Hogwood in 1973, the ensemble remains at the forefront of the early music scene more than four decades on; Richard Egarr became its Music Director in 2006. The Academy of Ancient Music has always been a pioneer. It was established to make the first British recordings of orchestral works using instruments from the baroque and classical periods and has released more than 300 discs, many of which are still considered definitive performances (among its countless

accolades for recording are Classic BRIT, Gramophone and Edison awards). It has now established its own record label, AAM Records, and is proud to be the most listened-to orchestra of its kind online, with over one million monthly listeners on Spotify.

large-scale vocal masterpieces such as Bach’s St. John Passion, Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Eccles’ Semele, as well the ground-breaking modern premiere of Jan Ladislav Dussek’s Mass in G, a piece which hasn’t seen the light of day since 1811.

AAM’s education and outreach programme, AAMplify, nurtures the next generation of audiences and musicians. With this expanding programme, working from pre-school through tertiary education and beyond, AAM ensures its work reaches the widest possible audience and inspires people of all ages, backgrounds and cultural traditions.

AAM is Associate Ensemble at London’s Barbican centre and Italy’s Teatro San Cassiano; Orchestra-in-Residence at the University of Cambridge, The Grange Festival, Milton Abbey International Summer Music Festival, Music at Oxford and the Apex, Bury St. Edmunds; Research Partner to the University of Oxford, and an Artistic Partner to The 2019-20 season features appearances London’s Culture Mile. by Viktoria Mullova, Chen Reiss, VOCES8, Visit www.aam.co.uk to find out more. Benjamin Appl, Masato Suzuki, Thomas Dunford, Mary Bevan, Alison Balsom, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and the BBC Singers. Programmes include

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Academy of Ancient Music Violin I James Toll Persephone Gibbs Sijie Chen Violin II Liz MacCarthy Davina Clarke Elin White Viola Jane Rogers Ricardo Cuende Isuskiza

Oboes Mark Baigent Lars Henriksson Bassoon Joe Qiu Theorbo William Carter Keyboard Technician Malcolm Greenhalgh

Cello Sarah McMahon Imogen Seth-Smith

All details correct at the time of going to press

ÂŠ Patrick Allen

Double Bass Judith Evans

H A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S

Music Director Richard Egarr

Head of Finance Julie Weaver

Hogwood Fellow Emma Safe

Head of Concerts and Planning Fiona McDonnell

Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen

Head of Development Liz Brinsdon

Education and Outreach Manager Sue Pope

Communications and Engagement Manager Kemper Edwards

Development and Events Librarian Emilia Benjamin Manager Alice Pusey

Board of Trustees

Development Board

Council

Paul Baumann CBE Hugh Burkitt Elizabeth de Friend Philip Jones (Chair) Ash Khandekar Graham Nicholson John Reeve Terence Sinclair Madeleine Tattersall Janet Unwin Kim Waldock

Elise Badoy Dauby Hugh Burkitt Elizabeth de Friend (Chair) Andrew Gairdner MBE Philip Jones Agneta Lansing Craig Nakan Chris Rocker Terence Sinclair Fiona Stewart Madeleine Tattersall

Richard Bridges Kate Donaghy Matthew Ferrey Jonathan Freeman-Attwood CBE Nick Heath Lars Henriksson Christopher Lawrence Christopher Purvis CBE

PR Consultant Artium Media Relations Programme Editor Sarah Breeden

Sir Konrad Schiemann Rachel Stroud Dr Christopher Tadgell The Lady Juliet Tadgell

(Honorary President)

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C 2019 - 20 S E A S O N

Forthcoming Concerts Bach’s St. John Passion

Tuesday 7 April 2020 King’s College Chapel, Cambridge Thursday 9 April 2020 Cadogan Hall, London

Glories of Venice: Castello and Monteverdi

Wednesday 22 April 2020 Milton Court Concert Hall, London Thursday 23 April 2020 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

Music for Royal Occasions BBC Singers & Sofi Jeannin Friday 8 May 2020 Milton Court Concert Hall, London

For full details and to book visit: https://www.aam.co.uk/concerts-projects/

“Feasting Reconciles Everybody" Samuel Pepys

Handel's propensity to overindulge was so strong that it once caused a rift between himself and his friend, the painter Joseph Goupy. At a frugal dinner Goupy had prepared, he caught the composer sneaking off to secretly eat "delicacies" Goupy could ill afford. Enraged by this snub, he wreaked revenge with his famous sketch The Charming Brute, showing the composer in an unflattering state of gluttony. Following extensive research, David Hunter, a Handel specialist, has concluded that the composer was most likely suffering from an compulsive eating disorder, its effects – including that of lead poisoning through imbibing too much wine – may have even influenced his composition choices. Handel was certainly partial to port so may have enjoyed this refreshment from John Nott's 1723 The Cook's and the Confectioner's Dictionary: Or, the Accomplish’d Housewife’s Companion: Wine a delicious sort. Cut a couple of Pippins and a couple of lemons into a dish, with half a pound of fine sugar; a Quart of good red Port wine, half a dozen cloves, some cinammon powdered, and Orange Flower-water; cover these and let them infuse for three or four Hours: then strain it through a Bag, and give it a Flavour with a Musk or Amber, as you please.

2019-20 concerts Salvation and Damnation Season highlights: Vivaldi and Pergolesi: Sacred Baroque Monday 11 November 2019 Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall Mozart’s Final Flourish Friday 7 February 2020 Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Saving Michael Haydn Tuesday 19 May 2020 Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall

oae.co.uk

ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC Music Director Richard Egarr Hogwood Fellow Emma Safe Founder Christopher Hogwood CBE

11b Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SJ +44 (0)1223 301509 info@aam.co.uk | www.aam.co.uk Registered charity number 1085485

All details correct at time of printing

aam.co.uk @AAMorchestra academyofancientmusic

@aamorchestra

Barbican Hall and Milton Court Concert Hall Barbican Advance Box Office, Silk Street Tel. 020 7638 8891 www.barbican.org.uk West Road Concert Hall Cambridge Live Tickets Box Office Tel. 01223 357 851 www.cambridgelivetickets.co.uk

Engage Join us on our journey to explore, reveal and preserve baroque and classical music.

Concerts

• brilliant music, expertly performed • inspirational, engaging performers at the highest level • detailed, informative programmes, free of charge • pre-concert talks and discussions • digital programmes and playlists sent in advance • post-concert listening and reading suggestions

Online

• past concert programme information • news and updates through social media • developing playlists for leading streaming services such as Spotify

Recordings

• over 300 albums, creating a substantial resource of historically informed

performance practice • our own record label, AAM Records • new Strategic Recording Fund enabling track-by-track recording of lesser-known works • making some of the finest performances available worldwide

Learning

• dedicated Education & Outreach Manager, curating programmes

for schools and communities • working with the next generation of performers and audience members • open rehearsals and opportunities to engage with performers and directors • high-level scholarship and research presented in informative ways • new baroque performance summer school in 2020

LOVE

CLASSICAL

MUSIC ?

Feed your curiosity and love of classical music by joining the Royal Philharmonic Society. Among the benefits, members can attend – and exclusively watch online – our talks and events in which great artists and musical heroes share their fascinating stories. Upcoming guests include Nicola Benedetti, Dame Sarah Connolly and Sir Thomas Allen, among others. Every subscription helps us to help emerging musicians follow in their footsteps and find their voice, ensuring classical music continues to thrive for years to come. Find out more online at:

royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk

AAM Strategic Recording Fund The Academy of Ancient Music is listened to more than any other similar ensemble online, and our recordings reach millions of people every year through both this medium and radio broadcasts. Streaming data shows our music is being listened to as far afield as Mexico, Montreal, Tokyo and Taipei. It is important that we engage strongly and swiftly with AAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new listeners that streaming services bring. This is why, in September 2017, we launched the Strategic Recording Fund. This Fund gives AAM the financial and artistic flexibility it needs to make fast, artistic-led decisions to record anything from just a single movement or aria to full works; to create first-rate materials to support our creative learning programme; to respond quickly to artistic priorities and demand for new recordings; and to adapt effectively to a changing marketplace in the consumption of music online.

Support for this Fund will make a huge difference to AAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artistic output and will help AAM secure itself as an authority in the performance and understanding of baroque and classical music. If you would like to donate to the Strategic Recording Fund, or to find out more information about it, please contact support@aam.co.uk

Featuring on:

4,530,746 fans (28m listens)

Soprano Mary Bevan during filming. Photo: Alexander Van Ingen

The generosity of our supporters in response to this Fund enabled us to record a range of short educational and promotional videos throughout last season, as well as make an audio recording of our highly successful Mortal Voices tour with Keri Fuge and Tim Mead in spring 2018.

AAM’s Legacy Giving Dame Emma Kirkby “I was so lucky to sing over many years with Christopher Hogwood and his Academy of Ancient Music. Christopher based his work on sound scholarship and was all his life a generous educator. He also looked to AAM’s future, choosing his successors carefully, so that the orchestra remains in excellent hands. When Christopher died in 2014, a grievous loss to us all, his final gift was a generous legacy to AAM. Under Richard Egarr the orchestra and choir continue to flourish, bringing joy and inspiration to new audiences, and especially to young players, singers and listeners through the educational initiative, AAMplify. I salute Christopher for his care and foresight, and also AAM’s loyal Friends who have been with us throughout: thank you for all you have done up to now, and especially for any future bequests!”

Frances Hogwood “I am honoured to support AAM’s Legacy campaign. [My brother] Christopher was able to make such a difference to the musical world, and so much of the way we perform and listen to music now is his legacy to us. He left his beloved orchestra a generous legacy too, that they may continue to flourish and build on his achievements; and I hope that many of us might consider a similar gift in support of this wonderful group to ensure that this powerful, passionate music lives on, changing lives for future generations too.“

RememberingH A N DE L' S H E R O I N E S AAM in your Will The Academy of Ancient Music is committed to bringing more early music experiences to more people every year, and we are determined to preserve our music and music-making so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come. Our music moves audiences now just as it did when first written, and the commitment and generosity of our supporters ensure it continues to be powerful and immediate for audiences of the future. If AAM has enriched your life by performing music that you love, please consider remembering AAM in your Will; help us to pass on our extraordinary treasure house of early music to the next generation. There may also be tax benefits* for your estate should you wish to leave a percentage of your estate to charity. Gifts that are left to the Academy of Ancient Music in Wills are one of the most important ways you can support our work. Joining our Legacy Circle will bring you into AAM’s unique and convivial supporting community, and you will be invited to an annual lunch as a thank you for your generosity, so that we can keep you updated with AAM’s work. Your gift today is supporting AAM’s artistic activities of tomorrow. If you would like to find out more about AAM’s Legacy Circle, please contact Liz Brinsdon (liz.brinsdon@aam.co.uk). Every gift in every Will makes a difference – however large or small. * as every individual situation is different, we recommend taking professional advice when assessing potential tax benefits.

soprano Lucie Chartin

Glories of

VENICE Castello Monteverdi and

Wednesday 22 April 2020 Milton Court Concert Hall, London Thursday 23 April 2020 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

With accompanying wine tastings by Bat & Bottle Full programme details at aam.co.uk Concerts in Cambridge Online cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/tickets Telephone 01223 357851 In person Cambridge Live Box Office, Wheeler Street

Concerts in London Online barbican.org.uk Telephone 020 7638 8891 In person Barbican Advance Box Office

Get involved: @AAMorchestra academyofancientmusic @aamorchestra

J.S. BACHOrchestral Suites

A selection of our critically acclaimed recordings are available to buy tonight, or online aam.co.uk/recordings

“Exuberant and full of vitality.” BBC Radio 3 “a feast of meaningfully understated musicianship. I loved it.”

HANDEL Brockes-Passion Recently released 300th anniversary recording from our new edition of the score.

AAM003

Editor’s Choice, GRAMOPHONE

J.S. BACH St. John Passion

“Such a vibrant and luxurious recording”

(1724 version)

£40 (3 CD, deluxe)

With an all-star cast including James Gilchrist as Evangelist and Matthew Rose as Jesus.

DARIO CASTELLO

£20 (2 CD)

Sonate Concertate In Stil Moderno, Libro Primo

AAM002

AAM007

THE TIMES 5*

BIRTH OF THE SYMPHONY:

Handel to Haydn

“AAM’s performances gave virtually unalloyed pleasure” GRAMOPHONE “A striking success” BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

£12

J.S. BACH

St. Matthew Passion

AAM001

AAM005

“A joy for ear and spirit” GRAMOPHONE “This is a gem of a CD” THE STRAD

(1727 version)

GRAMOPHONE

£25 (3 CD)

£12

ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC at

“Egarr’s compellingly original vision of this greatest of all musical tombeaus, with its fresh anticipation founded on collective adrenaline and uniformly outstanding lyrical Bach-singing … is a triumph.” AAM040

AAM004

£20 (2 CD)

This two-disc compilation of core baroque and classical repertoire gives a taste of our unrivalled award-winning catalogue of over 300 recordings.

£20 (2 CD)

Get involved: @AAMorchestra academyofancientmusic @aamorchestra Watch season trailers: acadofancientmusic

Associate Ensemble at the Barbican Centre Orchestra-in-Residence at the University of Cambridge Orchestra-in-Residence at The Grange Festival Orchestra-in-Residence at the Apex, Bury St Edmunds Orchestra-in-Residence for VOCES8 Milton Abbey International Summer Music Festival Associate Ensemble, Teatro San Cassiano Research Partner: University of Oxford Partner: Culture Mile Network Music Director: Richard Egarr Hogwood Fellow: Emma Safe Founder: Christopher Hogwood CBE 11b Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SJ +44 (0) 1223 301509 info@aam.co.uk www.aam.co.uk Registered charity number 1085485 All details correct at time of printing

Design by Apropos Cover Photo: Patrick Allen

Full programme details at aam.co.uk