In Handel’s shadow

Winter in Schwetzingen

He was the »dear Saxon« – il caro Sassone – as his Italian admirers called him, and this nickname says it all: Handel was the benchmark, not only in Germany and Italy, but also in England. And anyone who wrote operas or oratorios there in the 18th century inevitably wrote in his shadow. Maurice Greene, Thomas Arne, John Stanley – all significant composers of their time, who adopted and developed Handel’s stylistic language, yet still found their own voice. It is precisely this dynamic interplay that this evening brings to life: Rémy Brès-Feuillet, one of the most fascinating countertenors of his generation, and the Ensemble Compagnie la Demeure, conducted by Gerd Amelung, juxtapose Handel’s arias from »Deborah«, »Saul« and »Semele« with those of his English contemporaries – a concert that demonstrates just how vast a shadow can be and what riches may lie hidden within it.