Del bell'idolo mio is a dramatic secular cantata

Cantata

A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....

 for soprano written by Georg Frideric Handel in 1707-09. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG

Händel-Gesellschaft

Between 1858 and 1902, the Händel-Gesellschaft, or "German Handel Society," produced a collected 105-volume edition of the works of Georg Frideric Handel. Even though the collection was initiated by the society, many of the volumes were published by Friedrich Chrysander working alone...

 l,48 (there is no HHA

Hallische Händel-Ausgabe

The Hallische Händel-Ausgabe is a multi-volume collection of the works of George Frideric Handel. It was first published in the 1950s: initially as an adjunct to the HG edition, but by 1958 as a collected edition in its own right...

 designation of the work). The title of the cantata translates as "Of my beautiful idol".

History

The copyist's bill for Ruspoli is dated 31 August 1709 however there is no evidence that Handel was still in Rome at that time. Some aspects of the manuscript connect the cantata with others that were written in the spring of 1707.

Synopsis

The cantata describes the quest of the singer as he ventures into the Underworld

Underworld

The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...

 to rescue the soul of his beloved Nice.

Structure

The work is scored for solo soprano and keyboard (with scattered figured bass

Figured bass

Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...

 markings). The cantata contains three recitative-aria pairings.

A typical performance of the work takes almost eleven minutes.

Movements

The work consists of six movements

Movement (music)

A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...

:

Movement	Type	Key sig.	Time sig.	Tempo	Bars	Text (Italian)	Text (approx. English)	Notes
1	Recitative	B minor	4/4		14	Del bell'idolo mio quest'e la fragil sua terrena salma. Per rintracciar quell'alma scenderò d'Acheronte al tenebroso lago; quell'adorato imago mi sarà cinosura in fra gl'abissi. Corri, corri a morir, misero amante, che la mortal sentenza io già la fluminai, e già la scrissi.	That's the fragile, earthly body of my beautiful idol. To find her soul I will descend to the dark lake of Acheron Acheron The Acheron is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It flows into the Ionian Sea in Ammoudia, near Parga.-In mythology:... ; the image I worshipped will be my guiding light in the abyss. Run, run away to die, miserable lover, since the deadly decision I have already made, and written.	The recitative sets the scene of despair (in a minor key) and tells of the journey ahead.
2	Aria	E minor	4/4	Andante	35	Formidabil gondoliero, io ti bramo, approda alla riva. Nel varcare il temuto sentiero un certo diletto mi nasce nel petto, che l'ama ravviva.	Formidable ferryman Charon (mythology) In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on... , I want you, approach the river bank. While crossing the dreaded border, a certain delight is born in my breast, that revives my love.	Includes a "Da Capo", "Fine" instruction. The aria depicts bravado and calls on the ferryman with a sustained note. His impatience in waiting is depicted with rhythmic repetition.
3	Recitative		4/4		4	Ma se non la rinvengo là nello stigio regno, misero, oh! che farò?	But if I do not find her in the Stygian Styx In Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...  kingdom, misery, oh! what will I do?	Concludes with a D major chord.
4	Aria	G minor	4/4	Adagio	22	Piangerò, ma le mie lacrime saran simboli di fè. Quando piange un'alma forte, sol nel regno della morte, si lusinga aver mercè.	I will cry, but my tears are symbols of faith. When a strong soul cries, even in the kingdom of death, it hopes to find mercy.	Includes a "Da Capo", "Fine" instruction. Fragmentation and melancholic chromaticism express his despair and fear that he will not succeed.
5	Recitative		4/4		6	Frà quell'orride soglie, tutto festante, si raggira il piede olocausto d'amor, e della fede.	Over those horrid thresholds, all jubilant, one wanders into a holocaust of love and faith.
6	Aria	B-flat major	3/8		44	Su rendetemi colei, consolata un infelice, cari numi, amati dei, voglio Nice. Tanto tregua al duol interno! Dalle fiamme dell'inferno sorgerò nova fenice. Voglio Nice.	Return her to me, console an unhappy soul, dear spirits, beloved gods, I want Nice. Give respite to the pain inside! From the flames of the inferno will rise a new phoenix Phoenix (mythology) The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians.... . I want Nice.	Two sections (16 and 28 bars)—each with repeat markings. With nothing left, he is reduced to a simple plea (as one long musical sigh): "I want Nice".

(Movements do not contain repeat markings unless indicated. The number of bars is the raw number in the manuscript—not including repeat markings. The above is taken from volume 50, starting at page 48, of the Händel-Gesellschaft edition.)

See also

• List of cantatas by George Frideric Handel