Composer

:

George Frederick Handel

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

ca. 1722

Average_duration

:

5:12

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

"Langue, geme e sospira" (HWV 188) is a cantata composed by George Frederick Handel in 1707. The cantata was premiered in Rome, Italy, during Handel's time there as a young composer. The work is written for a solo soprano accompanied by a small ensemble of strings and continuo. The cantata consists of three movements, each of which explores the theme of unrequited love. The first movement, "Langue, geme e sospira" (Languish, groan, and sigh), is a slow and mournful aria in which the soprano expresses her longing for her beloved. The music is characterized by its expressive melodic lines and the use of dissonance to convey the pain of unrequited love. The second movement, "Se pietà di me non senti" (If you do not feel pity for me), is a recitative in which the soprano pleads with her beloved to take pity on her and return her love. The music is more declamatory in style, with the soprano delivering the text in a speech-like manner. The final movement, "Sì, sì, del mio dolore" (Yes, yes, of my pain), is a lively and virtuosic aria in which the soprano declares that she will continue to love her beloved despite his indifference. The music is characterized by its rapid and intricate melodic lines, as well as its use of ornamentation and coloratura to convey the soprano's passion and determination. Overall, "Langue, geme e sospira" is a beautiful and poignant work that showcases Handel's skill as a composer of vocal music. The cantata's expressive melodies, use of dissonance, and virtuosic vocal writing make it a masterpiece of the Baroque era.

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