Micrologus; Reconstructing a Handel Cantata

81-10 RECONSTRUCTING A HANDEL CANTATA

The subject of today's show is “Reconstructing a Handel Cantata.” And I have with me a special guest, my colleague Doris Ornstein, who is harpsichordist-in-residence at Case Western Reserve University, director of the Cleveland Baroque Soloists, and also well-known as harpsichord teacher at the Aspen Summer Music Festival.

Doris, welcome.

ORNSTEIN: Thank you.

DUFFIN: Now, first of all, the obvious question is: what is this Handel cantata and why did it need reconstructing?

ORNSTEIN: The title of the Handel Cantata is “Mi palpità il cor,” which means “My heart beats—my heart palpitates.” And as you can guess from the title, it is a cantata (like most Handel cantatas and Italian cantatas of the period) about the pangs of unrequited love. The reason for the reconstruction was that the version I was interested in, which was for oboe, soprano, and continuo, was only available in the Handel Gesellschaft, which is a large 50- (at least) volume work.

DUFFIN: Yes, the complete works of Handel.

ORNSTEIN: Not really complete—an attempt. And it contains all the known Italian cantatas of Handel. The one that interested me, however, was printed as a fragment—in other words, incomplete in this edition. Then I learned that there was, in fact, a complete Handel autograph of this cantata available.

DUFFIN: That's to say, a manuscript in Handel's own hand.

ORNSTEIN: Exactly. And I sent for that to the British Museum, but I got very eager to get to work on this. And since there was an alternate version of the cantata in the Handel Gesellschaft for flute and alto and continuo, I thought that by simply transposing that version, I would come up with a fine reconstruction.

DUFFIN: Well, Handel is well-known for his borrowings from himself and reworking material for use in different situations, and you’re telling us then that transposing doesn't work?

ORNSTEIN: It definitely doesn't work, and he certainly did not do this in this case. He seems to have been very interested in this cantata because the reworking is extremely elaborate. There are so many differences between the two versions that range of voice or range of instrument alone could not possibly account for those differences. It seems as if he was constantly trying to treat the instruments very idiomatically, which accounts for some of the changes, and that he was rather in love with the material, and wanted to see which way it could go in each version.

DUFFIN: Before we go any further, I should say that there are two recorded versions of “Mi palpità il cor,” both with original instruments, one with the version for flute and alto and continuo, and the other one—a new release in the version for baroque oboe, soprano, and continuo. The first is recorded by René Jacobs, the countertenor, with Bart Kuijken on transverse flute, Gustav Leonhardt on harpsichord, and Anner Bylsma on baroque cello. And the second is from a recording directed by my guest, Doris Ornstein, which is just being released on the Gasparo label. If you want to get your pencils, it’s No. GS-213. And the performers on that are the Cleveland Baroque soloists, consisting of Penelope Jensen, soprano, James Caldwell, baroque oboe, Doris Ornstein, harpsichord, and Catharina Meints, baroque cello.

We're going to listen to the final movement from the version for flute and alto and continuo. And after we listen to that, we'll come back and talk about some of the specific differences between the versions.

[MUSIC: George Frideric Handel’s “Mi palpità il cor,” performed by René Jacobs, countertenor, Barthold Kuijken, transverse flute, Anner Bylsma, baroque cello, and Gustav Leonhardt, harpsichord.

DUFFIN: What kinds of differences are there between the flute version of which we just heard a sample, and the oboe version which you prepared for performance, Doris?

ORNSTEIN: Well, there are substantial differences. For example, in the first of the arias in which the obbligato instrument participates …

DUFFIN: That is, the second movement of the cantata.

ORNSTEIN: That's correct. The B-section, the middle section, is almost completely different in both the instrumental and the vocal part—completely different melodies. I would say in this particular aria, both versions are beautiful and very worth hearing, whereas in the final aria, the constant jumping up and down necessitated by the range of the baroque flute and the alto, I think are a bit of a handicap. The oboe-soprano version is much smoother. It is easier to follow the line and, I think, in every way is superior.

DUFFIN: Was there anything else that entered into your reconstruction besides the variance between the two versions, the version for transverse flute and the version for oboe?

ORNSTEIN: Yes, well, to add to the merriment, there was yet a third version! Only the first aria of the third version is identical with the first aria in both the other versions that we've been discussing. And there was information in that particular section that was extremely important. For example, there was a figured bass, so that I could reconstruct the harmonies correctly.

DUFFIN: In the flute and the oboe versions, then, the bass was there, but there were no figures to indicate which chords were to be used, is that right?

ORNSTEIN: That's right. And then there was also a very lovely cadenza in the continuo version that did not appear at all in the other two versions, and which our soprano performs. Since it was written by Handel, I think it's very nice to use it. There would be nothing wrong with the singer who wanted to sing their own cadenza at that point, and I imagine that Handel would not dare hand a ready-made cadenza to most of the singers that he worked with. Our singer, being very agreeable, sang Handel's cadenza. Then there are interpretive indications in the flute version, as well as in the oboe version, that can be put together for the most dramatic effect. For example, the opening aria, which is about the palpitations of the lover's heart, is meant to sound very agitated and breathless. And in one version you have rests between the opening notes for the word “palpità.” In the next version you have rests plus wedges, which means cut off the notes altogether as if you're having trouble breathing because you're so stirred by emotion. And I think it's rather amazing that in the continuo version, none of these marks exist. So if you would use that, you'd be tempted to simply sing it legato and therefore miss the whole point.

DUFFIN: All of these considerations have gone into a new performance version of Handel's “Mi palpità il cor,” and we'll hear that version now in a performance by the Cleveland Baroque Soloists, directed by my guest, Doris Ornstein.

[MUSIC: George Frideric Handel's cantata, “Mi palpità il cor”—as one might say—“My heart flutters.” Performed by the Cleveland Baroque soloists, consisting of Penelope Jensen, soprano, James Caldwell, baroque oboe, Catharina Meints, baroque cello, and Doris Ornstein, harpsichord]

From a recording made in the Harkness Chapel on the campus of Western Reserve College and from a disc just being released now on the Gasparo label with the catalog number GS-213. It's interesting to note that “Mi palpità il cor” is Handel's only cantata for the combination of soprano, baroque oboe, and continuo. So we can be grateful to Doris Ornstein for her reconstruction. Doris, thanks for coming down and sharing this with us.

ORNSTEIN: Thank you very much for inviting me.