Acis and Galatea Review Brenna Moran Course: Vocal Literature Professor: Christopher Herbert, Music Student: Brenna Moran Essay: Acis and Galatea Review
Assignment: Students were asked to view the opera, Acis and Galatea, by Handel, and write a review of the performance incorporating facts about performance
(who, what, where, when, why, how), facts about the opera and its history, and a subjective opinion about the opera.
I recently had the privilege of watching the Opera Theatre Company’s production of A cis and Galatea from 2017, performed in Dublin, Ireland. The production was directed by Tom Creed, and was accompanied by the Irish Baroque Orchestra with musical director Peter Whelan. Rather than a traditional staging design, a more creative approach was taken by Paul O’Mahony. The set was designed to look like a country-western bar, complete with cheap colored lights and bright seating arrangements. Set atop a floor that could slowly spin in both directions, the audience was able to experience the interior and exterior of this unique design. The costumes, designed by Catherine Fay, reflected this theme. Characters donned brightly colored button-up shirts with blue jeans and cowboy boots. The three main characters, Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus, were dressed uniquely to reflect their personalities: Acis wore a humble hoodie, Galatea wore a beautiful floral dress, and Polyphemus wore a cluttered suit.
The opera was composed by George Frederick Handel and first premiered in 1718. Most of the songs are de capo arias, which follow an ABA pattern of a melody, then a new melody, and then a return to the original melody with added ornamentations. The work is considered a pastoral opera, as it is based off of mythological themes. It tells the story of Acis, a young and smitten lover, who is in love with Galatea, a beautiful, semi-divine nymph. The story opens with shepherds and nymphs dancing and enjoying the “pleasure of the plains”. Galatea, however, is missing Acis, and refuses to partake in the festivities. Acis, nearby, is looking for his lover when he runs into his friend Damon, who comforts him and gives him advice on love. Acis and Galatea are then reunited, and declare their love for each other. The act ends with Acis proposing to Galatea, and her accepting his proposal. However, their joy does not last long, for the drunken Polyphemus stumbles into the bar and tries to win over Galatea. She rejects him, which throws him into a fury. 73
