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' ("Parnassos in celebration for the nuptials of Thetis and Peleus", HWV 73), by George Frideric Handel, is a festa teatrale, a form also called a "serenata", a type of Italian opera intended as entertainment to celebrate a festive royal or state occasion. The work was written to celebrate the marriage of Anne, Princess Royal and Prince William of Orange. ''Parnasso in festa'' had its first performance in London at the King's Theatre on 13 March 1734 and was repeated five times. The operatic entertainment, to an anonymous libretto, was such a success at its London premiere that although it was intended as one-off production for a royal wedding, ''Parnasso in festa'' was revived by Handel in several subsequent seasons.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.gfhandel.org/43to100.html )〕 ==Background== The German-born Handel had been resident in London since 1712 and had there achieved great success as a composer of Italian operas. He had also enjoyed the patronage of monarchs Queen Anne, George I and George II and other members of the royal family and had been commissioned by them to compose numerous pieces of music for worship services in the royal chapels as well as for other royal occasions. Handel enjoyed a particularly warm and close relationship with Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of George II, who supported his opera seasons, was an accomplished musician herself, and to whom Handel even gave private lessons – although he did not enjoy teaching, he made an exception in her case.〔 Handel composed the anthem for her wedding, "This is the day which the Lord hath made", to Biblical texts selected by Anne herself, which was performed at her marriage to William IV, Prince of Orange, at the French chapel in St James's Palace on 14 March 1734. The evening before the wedding, the princess, the rest of the royal family and all their court attended the first performance of ''Parnasso in festa'', specially composed by Handel for the occasion to an anonymous Italian text, at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket where he was presenting his seasons of Italian operas, and with the same star opera singers who were appearing in his current successful opera ''"Arianna in Creta"''.〔 A few days before the first performance, London newspaper ''The Daily Journal'' reported on the anticipation with which this full length operatic entertainment in three parts was awaited: We hear amongst other publick Diversions that are prepared for the Solemnity of the approaching Nuptials, there is to be perform’d at the Opera House in the Haymarket, on Wednesday next, a Serenata, call’d, ''Parnasso in Festa''. The Fable is, Apollo and the Muses, celebrating the Marriage of Thetis and Peleus. There is one standing Scene which is Mount Parnassus, on which sit Apollo and the Muses, assisted with other proper Characters, emblematically dress’d, the whole Appearance being extreamly magnificent. The Musick is no less entertaining, being contrived with so great a variety, that all sorts of Musick are properly introduc’d in single Songs, Duetto’s, &c. intermix’d with Chorus’s, some what in the Style of Oratorio’s. People have been waiting with Impatience for this Piece, the celebrated Mr. Handel having exerted his utmost Skill in it.〔 ''Parnasso in festa'' is Handel's only full scale "festa teatrale" or "serenata", a form popular in Italy to celebrate royal weddings and other festive state occasions, but rare in England. From the above newspaper description, it can be seen that there was one set only, the singers were in costume but probably did not move around on the stage, and the musical emphasis was on entertainment and variety rather than, as in the operas, depth of emotion and sometimes tragic feelings. The choruses referred to were probably performed, as in Handel's Italian operas, by no greater forces than the soloists singing together.〔 In ''Parnasso in festa'', Handel re-used much of the music he had composed for the English oratorio "Athalia", which had been presented in Oxford on 10 July 1733 "to immense applause". Re-using music in this way, especially for an audience in a different location than the one where it had been heard first, was a common practice of Handel's and of other composers of the time. 18th century musicologist Charles Burney observed of ''Parnasso in festa'' that the music "was new to the ears of the greatest part of a London audience; and Handel with all the riches of his genius and invention, was very economical, and as frequently turned and patched up his old productions, as if he had laboured under indigence of thought."〔 However a substantial portion of the music of ''Parnasso in festa'' was newly composed for the piece.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Parnasso in festa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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