Ellen T. Harris

This cantata was written in 1708 when Handel is known to have been in Naples, with text referencing the river Volturno.

This cantata is Italian in origin due to the autograph being written on paper with the 'three moons'. It may possibly be associated with Florence early in Handel's sojourn.

It is believed this cantata was written for Senesino when he arrived in England in 1720, however this volume was not complete until 1722.

The autograph would seem to identify this work as having an English provenance; corroborated by the lack of key signature in the recitative and highly embellished melodic style..

The style of this cantata points to an Italian provenance, due to the survival of a copy in an Italian manuscript.

Handel must have particularly enjoyed the light and airy first aria, as versions of it can be found in a number of his works, including Rodrigo, Io languisco, and Il pastor fido.

This aria has been dated to 1722, and, also like Deh! Lasciate, it may have been written for the castrato Senesino.

The style of this cantata suggests an early date with the use of a dance-form ariette typical in operas from Hamburg, including Handel's.

A highly ornamanted cantata, possibly written for a single singer, and, based on style comparisons, this may have been castrato Valentini.

This cantata is unusual in that its text is addressed to a man, with the persistent use of the masculine form 'caro' rather than 'cara'.

This cantata was originally composed for the marquis Ruspoli in the soprano range.

Qualor crudele survives in twelve sources, all of which are of English origin. Aspects of the text suggest a Neapolitan provenance.

The original autograph for soprano can be associated with Handel's brief journey to Naples in spring and early summer of 1708.

The dating of the autograph suggests that the cantata was written for the castrato Valentini.

Because of the extensive bass figures in the autographs, this has been associated with the group of so-called pedagogical cantatas.

The earliest surviving source for Stanco di più soffrire may be the copy in the Santini collection prepared by Angelini, which is a third higher.