Composed in 1710-1711 while Handel was in Italy, this duet comes from a collection of chamber pieces that Handel wrote as entertainment for Roman aristocracy. Handel composed over 100 chamber cantatas during his time in Rome, but his chamber duets and trios are often forgotten in comparison to his vast output of cantata writing. These intimate duets often later became …
An early work of Handel, this secular cantata was composed in 1707, and premiered that same year at the Palazzo Bonelli, in Rome. Wanting to write opera after his early success in Hamburg, Handel traveled to Italy; however upon arrival in Rome, Handel discovered that opera had been banned by Papal edict. In lieu of opera, Roman aristocracy hosted performances of secular cantatas, which were, for all intents and purposes, short operas without staging. Handel delved into this form, writing over 100 of these chamber cantatas for various patrons.