Handel - Flavio "Bel contento" Derek Lee Ragin

George Frideric Handel
Flavio, re de' Langobardi, HWV 16
"Bel contento"
Guido's aria from Act I, Scene 4

Libretto: By Nicola Francesco Haym
Completed score: 7 May 1723
First performance: 14 May 1723, London, King's Theatre, Haymarket. (Duration: 156') (8 performances to 15 June)

Original cast from first performance:

Flavio : Gaetano Berenstadt (alto-castrato)
Guido : Francesco Bernardi, called "Senesino" (alto-castrato)
Emilia : Francesca Cuzzoni (soprano)
Vitige : Margherita Durastanti (soprano)
Teodata : Anastasia Robinson (contralto)
Lotario : Giuseppe Maria Boschi (bass)
Ugone : Alexander Gordon (tenor)


In this recording:

Derek Lee Ragin
Ensemble 415, Chiara Banchini
Direction:Rene Jacobs

"Flavio, re di Longobardi" is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian libretto was by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Matteo Noris's "Il Flavio Cuniberto". It was Handel's fourth opera for the Royal Academy of Music. Handel had originally entitled the opera after the character of Emilia in the opera.Handel completed the score only 7 days before the premiere, at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket, London on 14 May 1723. There were 8 performances in the premiere run.The work was revived on 18 April 1732, under the direction of the composer, for 4 performances. There were no further revivals until it was rediscovered and performed in Göttingen in 1967. The first UK performance since Handel's time was in August 1969 at the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon.

Original Text

Recitativo:

Son pur felice al fine.
Ahi! Per la tenerezza
Sento stemprarmi il core.
Parmi veder sull'etra
Per sì fausto Imeneo tutte le stelle
Rider più liete, e scintillar più belle.

Aria:

Bel contento già gode quest'alma
Né più teme d'avere a penar,
che d'Amore la placida calma
il mio seno qui giunge a bear.

Translation

Recitative:

I am happy, at last!
Ah, I feel my heart dissolve in tenderness!
It seems to me I see up in the skies
-because of such a fortunate marriage-
all the stars smile more brightly
and scintillate more beautifully.

Aria:

Now my soul enjoys sweet content
nor fears it must suffer again,
for the peaceful calm of Love
is come to bless my heart.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• George
• Frideric
• Handel
• Flavio
• Bel
• Contento
• Derek
• Lee
• Ragin
• Guido
• countertenor
• baroque

[senesino83]

FANTASTIC. My favourite.... I grew up (literally) listening to this thousands of times...

[Graviak]

i´ll never get it how people might prefer Scholl over Lee Ragin. Thanks for posting this, because the failed "Tamerlan Aria" gave way to much miscredit.

[franchute63]

I like it so much !

[pastasalademmm]

i like his low notes very much

[acerb45666555]

glorious!

[GFHandelfan]

@archiegravs

[nncapisciocomputer]

bellissima voce,molto aggraziata,ma il mio love è Andreas perchè la sua voce oltre tutti gli altri pregi il mio orecchio sente che è anche molto sensuale....

[delauge]

They have very diferrent voice, both of them are fantastic.

[eddi1178]

Thank you very much Civileso for the care that you have for this repertoire,your videos are always interesting!!thank you

[delauge]

It is very nice version, but Scholl´s v. is really fantastic