Handel / Sixteen - Acis & Galatea - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Famed for it's interpretations of some of Handel's most loved works, The Sixteen marks the start of it's 40th anniversary season by releasing it's first new Handel recording in five years. Handel's pastoral opera is a tale of love, tragedy and liberation. The libretto by John Gay, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses (book XIII), tells of the eternal love between the mortal shepherd Acis and goddess Galatea and how it is doomed by the jealous cyclops Polyphemus. Handel's music beautifully demonstrates the pain and love in such beautiful, dramatic choruses as 'Wretched lovers!' and the grief felt by Galatea in 'Must I my Acis still bemoan'. Staying true to the premiere in 1718, just five singers and nine instrumentalists feature on this intimate recording. Album Tracks 1. Act One 2. Sinfonia 3. Chorus O, the Pleasure of the Plains! 4. Accompagnato Galatea - Ye Verdant Plains 5. Air Galatea - Hush, Ye Pretty Warbling Quire! 6. Air Acis - Where Shall I Seek the Charming Fair? 7. Recitative Damon - Stay, Shepherd, Stay! 8. Air Damon - Shepherd, What Art Thou Pursuing? 9. Recitative Acis - Lo, Here My Love 10. Air Acis - Love in Her Eyes Sits Playing 11. Recitative Galatea - Oh, Didst Thou Know the Pains 12. Air Galatea - As When the Dove 13. Duet Galatea, Acis - Happy We! 14. Act Two 15. Chorus - Wretched Lovers! 16. Accompagnato Polyphemus - I Rage - I Melt - I Burn! 17. Air Polyphemus - O Ruddier Than the Cherry 18. Recitative Polyphemus, Galatea - Whither, Fairest 19. Air Polyphemus - Cease to Beauty to Be Suing 20. Air Coridon - Would You Gain the Tender Creature 21. Recitative Acis - His Hideous Love 22. Air Acis - Love Sounds Th'alarm 23. Air Damon - Consider, Fond Shepherd 24. Recitative Galatea - Cease, Oh Cease 25. Trio Galatea, Acis, Polyphemus - the Flocks Shall Leave the Mountains 26. Accomp