The Queens of Haendel
Artistic Direction: Gabriel Bebeșelea
Soprano: Rodica Vica
​
Solomon: Arrival of the Queen of Shebe, HWV67
Alessandro: Rossana’s Aria “Brilla nell’alma”, HWV21
Giulio Cesare: Overture, HWV 17
Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra’s Aria “Piangero la sorte mia”, HWV 17
Arminio: Overture, Menuet, HWV 36
Almira: Sarabande in G minor, HWV 1
Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra’s Aria “Da tempeste”, HWV 17
Alcina: Overture, Musette, Menuet, HWV34
Siroe: Laodice’s Aria “Torrente cresciuto”, HWV 24
Athalia: Overture, HWV 52
Rodelinda: Rodelinda’s Aria “Spietati, io vi giurai”, HWV 19
Amadigi di Gaula: Overture, Gavotta, HWV11
Admeto: Sinfonia Atto II, HWV 22
Tamerlano: Asteria’s Aria “Deh, lasciatemi”, HWV 18 Ariodante: Overture, HWV 33
Alessandro: Lisaura’s Aria “No, piuÌ€ soffrir non voglio”, HWV 21
​
LENGTH
+/- 90 minutes
​
PERFORMERS: 21 musicians
​
TIMEFRAME
Dates available on request
The King of Baroque opera! The greater part of Georg Friedrich Händel’s working life was devoted to composing and performing operas and his best works are now in the repertories of opera houses all over the world. In The Queens of Händel, Musica Ricercata draws upon the many queens who grace Händel’s operas, Rodica Vica taking the roles of many Händelian queens - Cleopatra, Rossana, Laodice and Lisaura, among them - leading audiences from Händel’s first opera Almira, Queen of Castile through the period in the composer’s career, when he was writing for magnificent and tempestuous divas such as Francesca Cuzzoni and Anna Maria Strada del PoÌ€in the 1720s and 1730s.
​
From cantabile arias to vocal pyrotechnics, Händel writes for the voice with an irresistible sense of dram and this programme, Musica Ricercata invites audiences to rediscover some of his masterpieces, carried by Rodica Vica’s leading voice.
