Georg Frideric Handel - GERMANICO

A genuine repertoire sensation: a newly-discovered operatic masterpiece by George Frideric Handel as world-premiere recording!

While researching Vivaldi manuscripts in 2007, Italian conductor and musicologist Ottaviano Tenerani came across a fair copy of a “serenata” for six vocalists, choir and a richly-scored orchestra that was signed with Handel's name. Extensive musicological research, including biographical reconstruction, stylistic comparisons, scrupulous examinations of the paper used and reports by international experts have corroborated Tenerani’s initial hypothesis that “Germanico” must be in fact one of the first works written by the young Handel during his stay in Italy (1706–1709).

The 90-minute opera, which has been preserved in its entirety, deals with the Roman commander Germanicus, whose triumphant return to Rome after his campaign against Arminius – itself the follow-up to the Battle of Teutoburg Forest – is celebrated with great rejoicing. It was probably written for private performance in 1706.

This world premiere recording has a top-drawer cast, featuring such Baroque specialists as Sara Mingardo, Maria Grazia Schiavo, Laura Cherici and Franco Fagioli, accompanied on period instruments by the Italian ensemble Il Rossignolo under the baton of Ottaviano Tenerani.

Ensemble „Il Rossignolo“ on original instruments:

Luca Marzana Trumpet I
Manolo Nardi Trumpet II
Martino Noferi Oboe I
Marco Del Cittadino Oboe II
Alberto Guerra Bassoon
Stefano Barneschi Violin I
Chiara Zanisi Violin II
Gianni Maraldi Viola
Jean-Marie Quint Violoncello
Cristiano Contadin Viola da gamba I
Noelia Reverte Reche Viola da gamba II
Davide Nava Double bass
Michele Pasotti Archlute, theorbo and guitar

Coro „Il Rossignolo“

Sopranos: Miho Kamiya, Santina Tomasello, Patrizia Vaccari
Contraltos: Maria Rosaria Rossini, Lucia Sciannimanico, Nadia Sturlese
Tenors: Stefano Baldi, Luciano Bonci, Valerio Sirotti
Basses: Diego Barretta, Enrico Rotoli, Marcello Vargetto
Choirmaster: Paolo Biancalana

Ottaviano Tenerani, conductor and harpsichord