Acis, Galatea e Polifemo

Serenata a tre, composed by Handel to celebrate the wedding of the Duke of Alvito in Naples in 1708, was performed in Naples in July 1708 at the Duke of Alvito’s palace in Chiaja. Aci, Galatea e Polifemo depicts the thwarted love between the shepherd Aci and the nymph Galatea.

A secular cantata whose libretto – at least as regards the Italian version – was written by Nicola Giuvo and is based on the legend of Acis and Galatea found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The story recounts the romance between the nymph Galatea and the shepherd Acis, interrupted by the cyclops Polyphemus, who is also in love with the nymph and crushes his rival under a boulder. Consumed by grief, Galatea transforms her beloved into a stream.

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Originally written for soprano, contralto and bass.

With this work, the ensemble continues its cycle of G.F. Handel’s oratorios.

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes