Carl Johengen, DMA

Countless voice teachers and singers have taught and studied the arias of Georg Friedrich Handel, and for good reason. They are musically satisfying, technically challenging, and pleasing to audiences. This makes it all the more remarkable that in an age that has seen the release of excellent new practical editions of numerous vocal works we still lack excellent published collections of Handel’s arias, particularly those from his operas.

A number of currently available and widely used editions of Handel arias lack crucial "background" information that teachers and singers now consider essential. Basic information – character names, original keys and voice types, plot synopses, and literal translations – is necessary in order for singers to give fully informed performances of these works. Since the operas and all but the most popular oratorios are rarely performed today, the dramatic context for arias taken from them is obscure to most students and teachers.

As a means of addressing this information gap, this article will provide annotations for selected collections of Handel arias currently in wide circulation, in the hope that singers and teachers will be able to use these editions with increased effectiveness.

In 1959 the International Music Company published Handel: 45 Arias from Operas and Oratorios in three volumes for high voice and three for low voice. At the time these editions were released they fulfilled a genuine need. Sergius Kagen, editor of the collection, wrote:

There has been a dramatic shift in attitude toward these arias since 1959. The intervening forty years have seen a substantial number of successful revivals of Handel’s operas, and a corresponding resurgence of interest in these dramatically viable and musically cohesive works. A movement toward historically informed performance has inspired a significant increase in the number of available recordings. Many teachers and students of voice have begun to view Handel’s operas in a more enlightened perspective, and no longer think of them as "grab bags" from which arias can be snatched willy-nilly and transposed or adapted at will.

Several legendary singers have treated the operas of Handel with the same respect as those of Mozart; Janet Baker, for example, proudly counted roles such as Giulio Cesare, Irene (Tamerlano), and Ariodante among her favorites. She routinely included Handel arias in her recital programs, selecting those that suited her vocal powers. Joan Sutherland appeared as Alcina and Rodelinda, and demonstrated an expressive and dramatic approach to Handel’s music. Marilyn Horne, another pioneer of the bel canto revival, counted Handel roles among her many triumphs. Many young professional singers have looked to these stars as role models, and have begun to incorporate Handel arias into their repertoire with increasing frequency. The time is ripe for the best of these arias to enter the expanding "standard repertoire", and to take their place alongside the arias of the later 18^th-century masters.

In light of these changes in attitude, it is all the more mysterious that new useful aria collections and practical editions of the operas have not yet been released. In recent years a number of editors and publishers have released new editions of familiar repertoire, greatly enhanced through the inclusion of well-researched background information, literal as well as singable translations, and better keyboard reductions. It is surprising that the arias of Handel have yet to experience a similar revisiting. Singers and teachers of all levels would undoubtedly find new editions of Handel arias useful, especially if they were published in voice-specific collections with all the beneficial features found in some of these other recent publications.

The few existing piano-vocal scores of complete operas are notorious for their problems: slashing cuts, re-arrangement and re-ordering of musical numbers and scenes, recasting of male roles in treble range as "baritone" roles down an octave, and other examples of mishandling. Several such editions were prepared by Oskar Hagen, the driving force behind revivals of Handel’s operas during the 1920’s; these are published by Peters. In some cases, not a single aria was spared the "editor’s knife"; B-sections and da capo reiterations were often suppressed, orchestral interludes shortened or omitted, and entire arias cut. The enterprising musician may be able to salvage certain arias by performing a "paste-up job", comparing them to versions published in the complete works.

Over the years, attempts have been made to collect arias in original keys, often with respectable and useful results. In 1880, Boosey and Co. published G. F. Handel: Opera Songs, edited by W. T. Best. This volume can still be found in many libraries. A collection of 52 arias in original keys, this edition is generally true to original sources, although two arias from Radamisto are incorrectly identified for tenor voice (they were written for castrato). The piano reductions are quite serviceable. Drawbacks include the absence of character names or literal translations, and the placement of a singable English version above the original Italian text in the vocal line. The greater number of these arias (38 of 52) are for treble voices.

In the years that followed Handel arias appeared in various forms in a number of publications, but often they were given unsatisfactory piano arrangements and singable English texts which bore no resemblance to the original text. One such publication was Arthur Somervell’s edition of ten Handel "songs" published by G. Schirmer in 1928. Ten opera arias appeared in transposed keys and with singable English texts printed above the original text; in this volume, "A suoi piedi" from Tamerlano, a dramatic aria in which a father denounces the daughter he believes to be disloyal, becomes "Lovely summer! Rides the sun in glory above"! Somervell’s "version" of "Non lo diro col labbro" from Tolomeo, called "Silent Worship", still appears in one widely used anthology.

A modest but fruitful attempt to provide voice-specific collections was undertaken by Stainer and Bell, who in 1985 released two volumes of arias from Handel’s operas. The Handel Opera Repertory features one volume for mezzo (co-edited by Janet Baker) featuring six arias, and one for tenor with eight arias, all in original keys and with excellent piano reductions. Extensive notes are provided, along with idiomatic translations and photographs from contemporary British productions of the works. Viewing these fine editions, one is left wishing that the project had been more ambitious and comprehensive. The contents of these two volumes are listed in Appendix B of this article. Appendix C lists the contents of two volumes of Handel arias published by Breitkopf and Härtel, one volume each for soprano and alto. With only one exception these arias are in their original keys; the arrangements are littered with dynamic and phrase markings as well as some questionable ornamentation, but the piano reductions are mostly serviceable. Singable German texts are printed below the original Italian or English texts.

Also in 1985, Josef Weinberger Ltd. of London released the second volume of The Art of Joan Sutherland, comprising seven 18^th-century arias popularized by Miss Sutherland and edited by the singer and her husband, conductor Richard Bonynge. Three soprano arias from Handel’s operas are included, each in its original key and with copious suggestions of ornamentation. As one may guess, each is a showpiece suitable for high, agile soprano. The Handel arias included are: "Tornami a vagheggiar" (aria of Morgana from Alcina), "Da tempeste" and "Piangero la sorte mia" (both for Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare in Egitto).

Handel opera arias have appeared in many other "mixed" collections as well; G. Schirmer’s Anthology of Italian Song of the 17^th and 18^th Centuries, edited by Parisotti, features two Handel arias in its first volume. "Affanni del pensier" (aria of Teofane from Ottone) and "Ah! mio cor" (aria of Rodelinda) appear in lowered keys and with "imposed" ornamentation and revisions of Handel’s original melody lines. A much more useful source is the La Flora series. These three volumes combine selected arias of Handel with those of other Baroque composers. Footnotes to each aria indicate the opera from which each is taken, although character names are not given. The piano reductions are very manageable. Appendix D of this article lists the Handel arias that appear in each volume of La Flora.

The aforementioned Kagen volumes have seen remarkably wide usage. As has already been mentioned, at the time they were published they partially filled a serious gap in the available repertoire. The individual arias are well edited and the piano reductions are for the most part very well done. These volumes are not without their problems, however, as many singers and teachers have discovered. Among these are:

1. Transposition

Any argument against transposition runs the risk of sounding "purist". At the same time, the practice of transposing an operatic aria when removed from its context is frowned upon in every other historical period; why is it acceptable with the works of Handel? The ubiquitous 24 or 26 "Italian Songs and Arias" notwithstanding, it does a certain violence to these arias when they are sung a third, fourth, fifth, or even an octave away from their original key. The irony is that Handel wrote dozens of arias for nearly every type of voice; the question of transposition is certainly one of convenience and not of necessity. For example, a mezzo need not resort to studying Handel’s soprano arias in transposition in order to experience his mastery; there are numerous arias tailor-made for mezzo which languish unexplored within the operas.

Handel’s works repeatedly testify to his remarkable ability to compose arias that "fit" the intended singer "like a glove". We do ourselves and our students a disservice by overlooking those arias that are genuinely suited to a particular voice in favor of arias originally composed for a very different voice type.

2. Lack of indication of the character’s name, gender, and original voice part

This lapse is particularly serious in the case of roles originally assigned to castrati. Many of the important male roles were written for treble voices, either for female singers or castrati. In subsequent revivals, Handel himself would often switch between casting a castrato and a woman in a given role. Nowadays, what soprano or mezzo wouldn’t appreciate knowing that she is portraying a male character when she sings a particular aria?

As for the transposition of male roles from treble to bass clef, it is rarely successful and Handel himself did it rarely.^* In particular, the lower castrato roles usually sound ridiculous when sung by a bass. The most reliable indicators of the success of an octave transposition are the resulting position of the voice part in relation to the orchestral bass line (the voice part must not cross beneath the bass), and the tessitura of florid passages. Many of the lower castrati roles are notable for their use of low-lying coloratura that simply does not sound convincing when sung down an octave.

3. Absence of plot synopses or description of the dramatic situation

Modern singers are considered irresponsible if they are not thoroughly informed of the dramatic context of their arias. Why do we expect any less when the arias are from pre-Mozartian operas? Frequently the translation alone is not enough to provide a complete picture of the character’s motivation in singing an aria, due to the often "generic" nature of aria texts in the typical Baroque opera libretto.

4. Haphazard arrangement within each volume

Singers who carefully select repertoire so as not to exhaust their budgets view each music purchase as an investment. Certain of the Kagen Handel volumes are arguably good investments for certain voices, particularly sopranos; each of the Kagen high voice volumes contains eleven or twelve arias in original keys for soprano. On the other hand, these volumes are a decidedly poor investment for tenors; the three high volumes combined contain only seven tenor arias, none of which is from the operas. Stainer and Bell’s two voice-specific editions of Handel arias should serve as models for future publications, each having been designed for a particular voice type and therefore an excellent investment for the buyer.

5. Other editorial questions

Upon examination of these volumes, there seems to be little rhyme or reason in the selection criteria or arrangement of their contents. Certain individual pieces are culled from among Handel’s most enjoyable and effective arias (for example, "Lascia ch’io pianga", "Affanni del pensier", "Nasce al bosco", to name but three). But the absence of a single aria from Tamerlano, for example, one of Handel’s finest works in any genre, is a serious oversight. Every tenor should become familiar with the arias Handel composed for Francesco Borosini, creator of the role of Bajazet, the most important of Handel’s tenor roles.

An additional problem with these editions is the sporadic presence of recitatives preceding many of the arias. In at least one case the recitative given is a composite of isolated fragments from a longer scene that precedes the aria. In such a case the recitative could have been omitted without a second thought. Conversely, several arias which in context are preceded by appropriate recitatives are unaccountably printed without them in Kagen’s edition.

For singers who are determined to seek out Handel’s original intentions, or who wish to explore more fully the extent of Handel’s genius as a composer of vocal music, the primary solution is to turn to editions of the composer’s complete works. One can gain remarkable insight from examining the arias within the context of the entire opera or oratorio and within the particular role. In addition, other important information has been transcribed from the manuscripts and other contemporary documentary evidence. Among this might be background about the first performance, subsequent revivals, revisions or other variants undertaken by the composer, and the identities of the original singers.

Chrysander’s monumental compilation, G. F. Handels Werke, published between 1858 and 1894, remains the most comprehensive attempt at a complete collection, and where the operas are concerned these volumes are extremely helpful. Some of them even include piano reductions embedded within the full scores; although awkward, these are still usable when enlarged. The Hällische-Handel Ausgabe, still in progress, has released full scores of several of the operas and oratorios, and piano-vocal scores accompany some of these editions. In the piano-vocal scores, the editors have on some occasions arbitrarily reassigned a number of the male roles originally composed for treble voices to male voices an octave lower; this is a serious editorial problem that the reader must take into account. An unfortunate drawback in both editions of the collected works is the complete avoidance of the word "castrato" in cast lists. Roles originally sung by castrati are labeled soprano, alto, or contralto; the identities and genders of the original singers are not identified.

Much valuable research and writing has been done on the subject of Handel’s operas; teachers and singers would be well-served by browsing the literature. The bibliography at the close of this article constitutes a starting place from which further reading may begin. Of particular value are those publications which include synopses of the operas (Dean/Knapp addresses those of the operas prior to 1728). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera is another valuable resource, providing synopses and performance histories of a number of Handel’s operas.

Until publishers see fit to release more voice-specific collections containing the best of Handel’s opera arias, an important part of the singer’s repertoire will potentially be ignored. Considering the astonishing quality evident in these works, it is a tragedy that, beyond a few familiar favorites, they remain on the periphery of the canon.

In the meantime, the appendices that follow can help guide singers and teachers through the existing published collections. The contents of each volume are listed by title; with the title of each aria is given:

1. the work in which the aria appears;
2. the name and gender of the character who sings it (f-female, m-male);
3. the voice type for which the aria was originally composed (note that some male roles in treble clef were originally assumed by female singers while others were sung by castrati);
4. the key and compass;
5. the original key and compass, if the aria has been transposed;
6. additional comments

Arias that appear in transposed keys in the particular volume are signified with an asterisk.

In addition, Appendix A contains a "tally" of arias originally composed for each voice part found in each volume of the Kagen International editions. Only those arias that appear in their original keys are considered in these tallies. It is hoped that this will assist singers and teachers in choosing the most appropriate volume for their needs. As has already been mentioned, each of the high volumes in the Kagen series is best for sopranos, containing eleven or twelve soprano arias each. Mezzos and tenors are advised to seek out the Stainer and Bell editions, while contraltos, countertenors and basses may need to pick and choose among the three low volumes of the Kagen series.

A further note of clarification is necessary for countertenors seeking appropriate arias in these editions. Several of the arias listed below for male characters were in fact originally sung by women; countertenors should take this into account as they select appropriate arias. Since Handel in reviving his own works occasionally switched between using a female singer or a castrato in a particular role, one may assume that male roles originally sung by women may be undertaken by countertenors today. Some of the male roles composed for soprano do have high tessituras which will be out of reach for many countertenors; countertenors should examine the entire role from which a particular aria is taken before making a selection. Appropriate arias for countertenor are indicated below.

Appendix A: An annotated list of the contents of each volume of Handel: 45 Arias from Operas and Oratorios; Sergius Kagen, editor (International Music Company, 1959).

Volume 1 High:

Volume 2 High:

Volume 3 High:

Volume 1 Low:

Volume 2 Low:

Volume 3 Low:

Appendix B: An annotated list of the contents of The Handel Opera Repertory

Book 1: Mezzo-soprano; Janet Baker and Anthony Lewis, editors (Stainer and Bell, 1985).