Handel and his accompanied recitatives

This dissertation provides the first comprehensive study ever undertaken of Handel’s accompanied recitatives. It traces the evolution of the medium within his vocal works from 1704 up until the composer’s final English language works in the 1750s. Using music manuscripts, wordbooks, the early printed editions and documentary evidence a detailed picture of Handel’s musical and dramatic choices relating to his accompanied recitatives comes into view.<br/><br/>The principle singers for whom Handel’s accompanied recitatives were originally written and the differences between accompanied recitatives in acted and un-acted works are discussed in detail, and possible influences on the young Handel, with regard to accompanied recitative, are also considered.<br/><br/>The connection between accompanied recitative and the supernatural in the composer’s vocal works is also discussed, and his use of accompanied recitative to distort closed forms and his reasons for doing so are explored. The problems relating to the terminology of eighteenth-century accompanied recitative are discussed at length, and a history of the medium is provided.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral Thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Queen's University Belfast

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Gorry, Liam

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• McCleave, Sarah
• Smaczny, Jan

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/c3aa9f6f-a969-443a-a384-3d94a8244fa4

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/c3aa9f6f-a969-443a-a384-3d94a8244fa4