GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
Aci, Galatea e Polifemo
Version for Senesino (London, after 1718)

CD 1 [41:21]

1 Ouverture 4:05
2 Accompagnato (Polifemo) Mi palpita il cor 2:25
3 Aria (Polifemo) Affano tiranno 4:53
4 Duetto (Aci, Galatea) Sorge il dì 4:03
5 Recitativo (Aci, Galatea) Vanti, o cara 0:48
6 Aria (Aci) Lontan da te 3:33
7 Recitativo (Galatea) Se di perle un tesoro 0:30
8 Aria (Galatea) Sforzano a piangere 6:28
9 Accompagnato (Galatea, Aci, Polifemo) Ma qual orrido suono 2:21
10 Aria (Polifemo) Ferito son d'amore 3:21
11 Recitativo (Galatea, Polifemo) Deh lascia, o Polifemo 0:55
12 Aria (Galatea) Benché tuoni 2:25
13 Recitativo (Polifemo, Galatea) Cadrai depressa e vinta 0:44
14 Aria (Polifemo) Non sempre, no, crudele 4:46

CD 2 [42:00]

1 Recitativo (Galatea, Polifemo, Aci) Folle, quanto mi rido 0:32
2 Aria (Aci) Dell’aquila l’artigli 3:31
3 Recitativo (Polifemo, Aci) Meglio spiega i tuoi sensi 0:27
4 Terzetto (Polifemo, Galatea, Aci) Proverà lo sdegno mio 1:50
5 Recitativo (Polifemo, Galatea, Aci) Ingrata, se mi nieghi 0:36
6 Aria (Polifemo) Fra l’ombre e gli orrori 5:47
7 Recitativo (Aci) Ah, crude stelle 0:31
8 Aria (Aci) Qui l’augel da pianta in pianta 8:40
9 Recitativo (Galatea, Aci) Giunsi alfin mio tesoro 0:31
10 Aria (Galatea) Se m’ami, o caro 4:26
11 Recitativo (Polifemo) Qui sull’alto del monte 0:13
12 Recitativo (Aci, Galatea, Polifemo) Cara, sino i tormenti 0:29
13 Terzetto (Galatea, Aci, Polifemo) Delfin vivrà sul monte 2:05
14 Recitativo (Aci) Oh Dei 0:06
15 Aria (Aci) Verso già l’alma 4:42
16 Recitativo (Galatea) Misera, e dove sono? 0:58
17 Aria (Galatea) Del mar fra l’onde 2:14
18 Recitativo (Polifemo) Ferma, ma già nel mare 3:00
19 Coro (Galatea, Aci, Polifemo) Chi ben ama ha per oggetti 1:13

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About this album

Handel’s dramatic cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo is a serenata first performed in Naples in 1708 with a libretto by Niccola Giuvo after Book 13 of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Handel adapted this score several times: The one-act masque Acis and Galatea (HWV 49), with an English text by John Gay, was first performed at Cannons in 1718. This was followed by, among others, a version as a three-act serenata for the Italian opera company in London in 1732 and an adaptation of the original English work into a two-act work in 1739. The so-called ‘Senesino version’ presented on this recording is based on a manuscript from the British library in London. In this version probably written for the famous castrato Senesino, Aci is an alto and Galatea is a soprano, all arias of the two characters are transposed. Polifemo’s part is almost completely re-written, with long accompanied recitatives and new arias. The instrumentation is slightly different from the Neapolitan version: no trumpets are present but there is a more extended use of woodwinds and recorders.