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Hercules (music drama)
Encyclopedia
Hercules is a Musical Drama in three acts by George Frideric Handel
, composed in July and August 1744. The English language libretto
was by the Reverend Thomas Broughton
, based on Sophocles's Women of Trachis and the ninth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
in London
on 5 January 1745 in concert style. There were only two performances in the original run. The role of Lichas was originally a small one for tenor, but was rewritten at great length, with six airs, for Susanna Cibber, she, however, was too ill to sing on the first night, and the music was either omitted or redistributed on that occasion. She sang in the second performance on January 12, but the music for the chorus "Wanton God" and the air "Cease, ruler of the day" was never given in this opera: the latter was adapted for the final chorus of Theodora. The work was a total failure and caused Handel to suspend his season. Hercules obtained three further hearings, two in 1749 and one in 1752, for which the role of Lichas was entirely eliminated, and much of the other music was also cut.
Hercules was originally performed in the theatre but like an oratorio without stage action. It is argued that this contributed to its later neglect as it did not make the transition into the church and the concert hall successfully. Its revival therefore occurred through reappraisal in the context of stage presentation, when it was acclaimed by Romain Rolland
, Henry Prunières, Paul Henry Lang
and others as one of the supreme masterpieces of its age.
The first modern performance was in Münster
in 1925.
, Leipzig 1859) (in English and German)
Complete Score of Hercules (ed. Friedrich Crysander, Leipzig 1859) in English and German in PDF format from the IMSLP
', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
, composed in July and August 1744. The English language libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
was by the Reverend Thomas Broughton
Thomas Broughton
Thomas Broughton may refer to:*Thomas Broughton , English divine, biographer, and miscellaneous writer*Thomas Broughton *Thomas Duer Broughton , writer on India...
, based on Sophocles's Women of Trachis and the ninth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Performance history
Hercules was first given at the King's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 5 January 1745 in concert style. There were only two performances in the original run. The role of Lichas was originally a small one for tenor, but was rewritten at great length, with six airs, for Susanna Cibber, she, however, was too ill to sing on the first night, and the music was either omitted or redistributed on that occasion. She sang in the second performance on January 12, but the music for the chorus "Wanton God" and the air "Cease, ruler of the day" was never given in this opera: the latter was adapted for the final chorus of Theodora. The work was a total failure and caused Handel to suspend his season. Hercules obtained three further hearings, two in 1749 and one in 1752, for which the role of Lichas was entirely eliminated, and much of the other music was also cut.
Hercules was originally performed in the theatre but like an oratorio without stage action. It is argued that this contributed to its later neglect as it did not make the transition into the church and the concert hall successfully. Its revival therefore occurred through reappraisal in the context of stage presentation, when it was acclaimed by Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
, Henry Prunières, Paul Henry Lang
Paul Henry Lang
Paul Henry Lang was a Hungarian-American musicologist and music critic....
and others as one of the supreme masterpieces of its age.
The first modern performance was in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
in 1925.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 5 January 1745 |
|---|---|---|
| Hercules | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Thomas Reinhold Henry Reinhold Henry Reinhold was a singer, reputed to be the son of the archbishop of Dresden.He was born in Dresden and showed an early aptitude for music, which his family apparently discouraged. But he secretly left Dresden to follow Handel, a friend of his reputed father, to London... |
| Dejanira, wife of Hercules | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Miss Robinson |
| Iole, daughter of the King of Oechalia | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Elisabeth Duparc Elisabeth Duparc Elisabeth Duparc or Du Parc, nicknamed "La Francesina", was a French soprano notable for appearing in several premieres and performances of the oratorios and operas of Handel - she played the title role, for example, in the premiere of Semele.After training in Italy she sang in Florence then... , called "La Francesina" |
| Hyllus, son of Hercules | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
John Beard John Beard (tenor) John Beard was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel.... |
| Lichas, a herald | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Susanna Maria Cibber |
Act I
The court laments the inconsolable grief of Dejanira, who is convinced that her husband, Hercules, has been killed whilst on a military expedition that has kept him absent from her. Once consulted, the oracles indicate that the hero is dead and the summits of Oeta are ablaze with fire. The prophecy confirms Dejanira's fears; however, their son, Hyllus, refuses to give up hope. As the latter prepares to set out in search of his father, Lichas arrives and announces that Hercules has returned alive after conquering Oechalia. Among the captives is the princess Iole of legendary beauty. Her predicament leaves Hyllus deeply moved. Despite having ravaged her country and sacrificed her father, Hercules reassures Iole that even though in exile, she may consider herself free.Act II
Iole is seized by a yearning desire for a simple, humble form of happiness far removed from the machinations of power. Meanwhile, Dejanira, convinced that Hercules has been unfaithful to her, considers Iole's beauty as proof of his betrayal, even though her suspitions are resolutely refuted by her supposed rival. Lichas, too, observes the unstoppable progression of Dejanira's jealousy. Hyllus, for his part, having declared his love to the captive princess, suffers the agony of her rejection. While Hercules is summoned to celebrate the rites of his victory, Dejanira gives Lichas a garment for her husband as a token of reconciliation. The blood-soaked cloak, entrusted to her by Nessus as he lay dying defeated by Hercules, is apparently endowed with the power to lead a heart back to faithfulness. Meanwhile, Dejanira takes great pains to convince Iole that she regrets her accusations.Act III
Lichas recounts how Hercules receives Dejanira's gift at the Temple and how the cloak is impregnated with a deadly poison. As his son watches on, the hero, undefeated until now, dies in appalling suffering and cursing Dejanira's vengeance. The last wishes expressed by the father to his son - that he be carried to the summit of Mount Oeta and set upon a funeral pyre - throw a belated light on the meaning of the oracle of the first act. Dejanira is informed of the glorious reception given to Hercules on Olympus. Discovering that she has been the instrument of his death, Dejanira sinks into madness. Such misfortune arouses the pity of Iole. Jove ordains the marriage between Hyllus and Iole, a decree that is received with joy by Hyllus and... obedience by Iole.Recordings
- 2002: Marc MinkowskiMarc MinkowskiMarc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His mother is American, and his father was Alexandre Minkowski, a Polish-French professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
(conductor), with Anne Sofie von Otter and Gidon SaksGidon SaksGidon Saks is an Israeli born South African bass-baritone.-Education:Saks grew up in South Africa. His father was a first generation South African of Lithuanian descent. His mother was Scottish of Ukrainian extraction. He had an aunt who was an accomplished opera singer in South Africa but he had...
. - 1995: Gardiner, with John Tomlinson.
- 1968: Brian PriestmanBrian PriestmanBrian Priestman is a British conductor and music educator.Priestman studied at the University of Birmingham and the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, Belgium....
(conductor), with Vienna Radio Orchestra: Louis QuilicoLouis QuilicoLouis Quilico, CC was a Canadian opera singer. One of the leading dramatic baritones of his day, he was an ideal interpreter of the great Italian and French composers, especially Giuseppe Verdi. He was often referred to as "Mr Rigoletto" in reference to the Verdi opera...
(Hercules), Maureen ForresterMaureen ForresterMaureen Kathleen Stewart Forrester, was a Canadian operatic contralto.-Life and career:Maureen Forrester was born and grew up in a poor section of Montreal, Quebec. She was one of four children to Thomas Forrester, a Scottish cabinetmaker, and his Irish-born wife, the former May Arnold. She...
(Dejanira), Teresa Stich-RandallTeresa Stich-RandallTeresa Stich-Randall was a European-based American soprano opera singer.-Biography:Teresa Stich-Randall was born in New Hartford, Connecticut in 1927 and studied at The Hartt School in West Hartford....
(Iole), Alexander YoungAlexander Young (tenor)Alexander Basil Young was an English tenor who had an active career performing in concerts and operas from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. He was particularly admired for his performances in the operas of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini.In 1953 he performed the role of Tom Rakewell in the...
(Hyllus), Norma Lerer (Lichas), Baruch Grabowski (Priest), Gerhard Eder (Trachinian), Martin Isepp (harpsichord). (RCA LP SER 5569-71)
Scores and E-Book
Score of Hercules (ed. Friedrich ChrysanderFriedrich Chrysander
Karl Franz Friedrich Chrysander was a German music historian and critic, whose edition of the works of George Frideric Handel and authoritative writings on many other composers established him as a pioneer of 19th-century musicology.Born at Lübtheen, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Chrysander was the son...
, Leipzig 1859) (in English and German)
Complete Score of Hercules (ed. Friedrich Crysander, Leipzig 1859) in English and German in PDF format from the IMSLP
Sources
Hercules by Stanley Sadie, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of Opera
The New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7