THE IMAGE OF GRIMWALD IN THE OPERA “RODELINDA” BY H. F. HANDEL

Abstract

The article studies the operatic work of the outstanding German composer of the Baroque era, G. F. Handel, the author of more than 40 operas, the vast majority of which represent the opera-seria genre. The focus is on the opera «Rodelinda», written and staged in London in 1725, during the period of the first Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728). One of the fea- tures of this period, during which 14 operas were written, is the emancipation and growth of the importance of the tenor part, the transformation of tenors into opera thieves and the invitation to perform these parts of singers with a pronounced acting talent. It is in this vein that the part of Grimwald in the opera «Rodelinda» was created. This is the only part in the entire opera written for a tenor. The aim of the article is to determine the specifics of the interpretation of the image of Grimwald as the main thief of the opera performance, and to study the features of the vocal part written for a tenor. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, combined with practical-performance approaches to studying the material. The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in determining the role of the tenor part in the operas of G. F. Handel, which represent the trends in the development of opera art of the Western European Baroque. Conclusions. According to the canons of the opera-seria genre, in the opera «Rodelinda», written in three acts, during which the plot unfolds, combining the struggle for power and love, there is a polarization of the forces of good and evil. If the idea of good is personified by the main characters of the opera (Rodelinda, Bertarid, etc.), whose parts are sung by male and female sopranos, the bearer of evil is Grimwald, whose vocal part is assigned to the tenor. This is the only tenor part in the performance. The nature of the thief finds direct manifestation in Grimwald's vocal part, where the virtuoso component prevails. The part is notated in the tenor clef and has a high tessitura. Tenors with pronounced acting talent are needed to perform this part.