Handel set his opera Poro in distant India. However, the conflicts that develop in it are universally applicable and enabled Handel to express through it his entire compositional maturity.
Handel’s opera Poro, re dell’Indie HWV 28 is due for publication in 2013 in the Halle Handel Edition. The version of the first performance of 2 February 1731 in London, which corresponds with the main part of the HHA volume II/25 (editor: Graham Cummings), has been available from Bärenreiter as a preliminary edition since autumn 2011. Following the work’s two periods of greatest popularity – 1731-6 in London, Braunschweig and Hamburg, and again from 1956-70, particularly in central Germany – the work is now unfortunately rarely heard, despite its exceptional musical attractiveness. The new publication can now be used as a basis for future performances.
The story takes place at the time of the Alexander the Great’s campaigns around 326 BC. The troops of King Poro, who rules over a part of India, are heavily defeated by Alexander’s (Alessandro’s) army. Cleofide, Queen of another part of India and amorously linked to Poro, uses her charms to beguile Alessandro, in order to save as much as possible for Poro and their country. Needless to say, Alessandro is taken in by Cleofide’s pretence of love, whilst Poro, who is only capable of trusting his lover to a limited extent, has plenty of opportunity for fits of jealousy. At the happy ending Alessandro forgives the couple’s intrigues and opposition, renounces Cleofide and gives Poro his kingdom back. None of the noble characters in the plot sheds a tear about the victims of the murderous battles.
With Poro, which of all Handel’s dramatic works is the opera set the furthest from western Europe, it seems that the composer wanted to lend the work a particular exotic colour musically; without any knowledge of non-European musical cultures, this was only possible by departing from the norm. So, after a first act with musical numbers predominantly in major keys, and a second act with four major and minor movements, in the third act three arias in major keys contrast with nine pieces in minor keys. The use of the baroque trumpet, with its range particularly suited to D major, in the final chorus in B minor is a stroke of genius; the key note of the piece does not occur in the instrumental part. In contrast to other operas by Handel, in four musical numbers, three of which are particularly long, flutes and recorder are used extensively.
A further feature unique in Handel’s operatic output, which has nothing to do with the exotic, is the use of musical recall in Cleofide and Poro’s duet at the end of Act I. The lovers repeat here with ironic intent, in text and music, the vow made to each other from a previous aria – broken in the case of Poro, and in the case of Cleofide regarded as broken by Poro.
Like this duet and the two other lovers’ duets, many of the arias are amongst the high points in Handel’s music. Highlights include Poro’s E major largo “Se possono tanto”, Cleofide’s moving “Digli, ch’io son fedele”, Poro’s richly-scored allegory of a sea voyage “Senza procelle ancora”, Gandarte’s siciliano “Se viver non poss’io” and Poro’s despairing “Dov’è? s’afretti”. Even in the 18th century the fame of Erissena’s pastorale “Son confusa pastorella” spread from London to Europe. Thus, as has been established through several manuscripts in the collections of the Dresden court ensemble, this aria was provided with a Latin vocal text and used as Christmas music in the Saxon capital.
Michael Pacholke
(translation: Elizabeth Robinson)
(from [t]akte 1/2012)