ON THE 340TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (REGARDING THE SOURCES OF THE COMPOSER’S OPERA LIBRETTI)

The extensive legacy of George Frideric Handel, whose 340th birthday is celebrated in 2025, includes works written in various genres: oratorios and cantatas, concerti grossi and trio sonatas, suites for clavier and orchestral works. A significant part of the master’s oeuvre is devoted to operas, from the first Almira, composed at the age of twenty, to Deidamia, written at the age of fifty-six. This article focuses on the composer’s operatic work, particularly the libretti of his operas, and the identification of their prototypes, which can be compared to the removal of cultural layers during archaeological excavations. The libretti of Handel’s operas differ little from those of his contemporaries, some concern historical figures from antiquity and the Middle Ages, while others cover themes from mythology, novels, and epic literature. The range of primary sources for the Handel’s original libretti includes famous literary works by Italian and French authors. By the end of the XVIIth century, multiple revisions of the libretto were commonplace. However, the name of the author of the original text or its reviser was not always indicated, making them difficult to identify.