With Tamerlano it felt as if we were returning to our roots: our first production (1985) was Rodelinda, which followed it in the sequence of composition. Together with Giulio Cesare (the first of the group to be composed), they comprise the three towering masterpieces that Handel wrote in an extraordinary burst of creative energy in the mid-1720s. The fact that Tamerlano requires an exceptional tenor for the central role of Bajazet (the dominant character in the opera) made this opera a daunting prospect. We were very fortunate to engage Mark Chaundy for this role, who was ideally suited to it, both as a singer and as an actor.
The opera is quite long, so we decided to adopt the cuts to the recitative that Handel himself incorporated in the 1731 revival. Unlike most modern productions, the CHOG one observed the abbreviation to the end of Act 3 that Handel made shortly before the first performance. Although this results in the loss of a beautiful aria for Asteria, the dramatic benefit is enormous: by moving almost immediately from the suicide of Bajazet to the bleak final coro, the opera ends with an overwhelming sense of profound tragedy.
Andrew Jones (Music Director)
