ALESSANDRO (Handel) Versailles 2013 Max Emanuel Cencic

by Georg Friedrich Handel
Opera Royal de Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, France
June 2, 2013

CAST

Max Emanuel Cencic – Alessandro
Blandine Staskiewicz – Rossane
Adriana Kucerova – Lisaura
Xavier Sabata – Tassile
Pavel Kudinov – Clito
Juan Sancho – Leonato
Vasily Khoroshev – Cleone
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Conductor: George Petrou
Orchestre Armonia Atenea
Choreograph: Lucinda Childs
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Stage Director: Lucinda Childs
Stage Designer: Paris Mexis
Costume Designer: Paris Mexis
Lighting Designer: George Tellos
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Alessandro (HWV 21), is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel in 1726 for the Royal Academy of Music. Paolo Rolli’s libretto is based on the story of Ortensio Mauro’s La superbia d’Alessandro. This was the first time the famous singers Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni appeared together in one of Handel’s operas. The original cast also included Francesco Bernardi who was known as Senesino.

Handel had originally planned Alessandro to be his first contribution to the 1725/1726 season of the Royal Academy. Bordoni did not arrive in London in time to stage it, so Handel substituted his own Scipione in March and April 1726 until her arrival. The opera received its first performance on 5 May 1726 at the King’s Theatre, London, and was received “with great applause”.

The story recounts Alexander the Great’s journey to India and depicts him less in a heroic vein than as vainglorious as well as indecisive in matters of the heart. The work’s charm and lightness of touch make it at times almost a comic work. Handel would later revisit the subject of Alexander in his 1736 English-language ode, Alexander’s Feast.

Place: Oxidraca, India

Time: Approx. 326 BC

A battle is in progress with Alessandro (Alexander the Great), besieging the Indian city of Oxidraca. Despite the many victories he has won elsewhere, the city’s defenders get the best of his army and he is in personal danger when he is rescued by his general Clito (Cleitus the Black), Prince of Macedonia.

In Alexander’s camp, two princesses, both in love with Alessandro, are much concerned for his safety—Lisaura, a princess of Scythia, and Rossane (Roxana), a princess taken captive by Alessandro in his previous campaign in Persia. The rival princesses are tormented by jealousy for Alessandro seems unable to make up his mind which of them he prefers. The Indian King Tassile, whose life Alessandro saved and whose throne he restored, brings the glad tidings to the princesses that Alessandro is safe and unharmed. Both ladies are overjoyed at the news, which grieves Tassile, as he is hopelessly smitten with Princess Lisaura.

In the temple of Jupiter, Alessandro gives thanks for yet another glorious victory, but his apparent invincibility has gone to his head. He announces that he is a god, the son of the divine Jupiter, and orders that he shall be worshiped as such. General Clito protests at this sacrilege, enraging Alessandro, who orders Clito’s execution, but he eventually yields to pleas from the princesses to show mercy.

Alessandro, finding both princesses captivating, still cannot decide between the two of them. He encourages them both equally, which drives the ladies to distraction. Rossane, a captive, makes melting appeals to Alessandro to free her and show his magnanimity. Alessandro hesitates to do so, fearing that she will then leave him, but finally agrees to release her from her bondage.

Meanwhile, General Leonato and others of Alessandro’s officers are appalled at his seeming descent into insane megalomania, and they plot to assassinate him.

In Alessandro’s quarters, he announces to the assembled generals that he intends to divide the vast territories he has conquered among them and give them all away. His status as a living god to be worshiped will suffice for him. General Clito is once again compelled by his conscience to denounce such arrogance, whereupon Alessandro is about to run him through with his sword, but suddenly, as part of a plot by the conspirators, the roof caves in. Miraculously, no one is injured, which only reinforces Alessandro’s conviction that he is beloved of the gods. Alessandro orders his sycophantic follower Cleone to lead Clito to jail.

Rossane has heard of the assassination attempt on Alessandro and believes it to have been successful. She weeps and mourns in despair, and Alessandro, overhearing this, is deeply touched by such devotion and decides she will be the woman of his choice. No sooner has he made this clear to her than King Tassile brings news that the people of Oxidraca, who seemed finally conquered, are staging a revolt. Alessandro rushes to battle, leaving Rossane once again anxiously praying for his safety.

General Leonato frees Clito from prison and throws Cleone in jail instead, but Cleone is also released by his supporters. The conspirators are now resolved to wage open warfare against their former leader, Alessandro, leading large parts of his army in a mutiny. Cleone is aware of this plot and informs Alessandro.

Alessandro, having decided to take Rossane as wife, breaks the news gently to Princess Lisaura, explaining that he is not good enough for her and that King Tassile, his dearest friend, loves her and he must not stand in the way of Tassile making Lisaura his queen. Tassile is overjoyed.

The conspirators and the mutinous army launch into battle against Alessandro, but King Tassile supports him with his troops and the conspirators are defeated. They beg for mercy, which Alessandro generously grants. Alessandro will marry Rossane, Tassile will have Lisaura, all are forgiven and praise the great hero’s magnanimity.

Quoted from Wikipedia