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Lotario: Opera in tre atti, HWV 26.

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Georg Friedrich Handel. Lotario: Opera in tre atti, HWV 26. Herausgegeben von Michael Pacholke. Kassel: Barenreiter, 2003. (Hallische Handel-Ausgabe, Ser. II: Opern, Bd. 23.) [Editorial policy, pref., in Ger., Eng., p. vi-xv; facsims., p. xvi-xx; Libretto-Druck (London, 1729), p. xxi-xl; Ger. trans. of text, p. xli-liv; score, 193 p.; Krit. Bericht, p. 195-246. Cloth. ISMN M-006-49785-6; BA 4074. [euro]210.]

George Friedrich Handel. Lotario: Opera in tre atti, HWV 26. Libretto: Giacomo Rossi nach Antonio Salvi; Deutsche Ubersetzung von Gerhard Muller; Klavierauszug nach dem Urtext der Hallischen Handel-Ausgabe von Andreas Kohs. Kassel: Barenreiter, c2004. [Ensemble, 1 p.; pref. in Ger., Eng. (Michael Pacholke), p. iv-vii; argument, p. viii; index of scenes, p. ix-xii; vocal score, 240 p. ISMN M-006-52489-1; BA 4074a. [euro]39.95.]

George Frideric Handel's Lotario (first performed at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, on 2 December 1729) was the first opera seria given in London after the collapse of the Royal Academy of Music in 1728. It was a new beginning with new singers, with a new poet and with changed contractual conditions. The advent of the "ballad operas" had influenced fashions. In Michael Pacholke's introduction to his edition of this opera for the Hallische Handel-Ausgabe (presented in German and an English translation by Terence Best), the situation of Lotario is aptly characterized on the basis of contemporaneous comments (pp. xii-xiii). Thus Mary Pendarves wrote on 20 December 1729: "The opera is too good for the vile taste of the town .... it will put people upon making comparisons between these singers and those that performed before, which will be a disadvantage among the ill-judging multitude. The present opera is disliked because it is too much studied, and they love nothing but minuets and ballads, in short the Beggar's Opera and Hurlothrumbo are only worthy of applause" (p. xiii).

In the opposing camp, the ex-secretary of the Royal Academy of Music, Paolo Rolli, also commented (11 December) on the past and present singing cast and negatively compared Anna Maria Strada del Po (Adelaide) with Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni. He praised only contralto Antonia Merighi (Matilde) and tenor Annibale...

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