Arts & Events

Coming just four months after the American Bach Soloists performed a concert version of Handel’s short opera Acis and Galatea at venues throughout the Bay Area in late January, Chora Nova, a choral group founded in 2006 by Paul Flight, offered a concert version of Acis and Galatea in a single performance, Saturday evening May 23 at Berkeley’s First Congregational Church. Handel’s Acis and Galatea, a brief two-act opera, (or, as it was originally called, a masque), is a charming example of George Friedrich Handel’s musical artistry. First performed in 1718 at Cannons, the country mansion of James Bridges, Earl of Carnarvon, Acis and Galatea is set to a libretto fashioned by eminent poets such as John Gay, Alexander Pope and John Hughes, who took the basic plot from a story in Book XIII of Ovid’s Metamorphoses.  

Handel’s first dramatic work in English, Acis and Galatea was revived by its composer in 1732 at the King’s Theatre in London, then was re-staged by Handel in 1742 in Dublin, Ireland, where it was presented in the version usually performed today. For Chora Nova’s performance, Artistic Director Paul Flight deleted one character, the shepherd Damon, who offers philosophical advice to both his friend Acis and the monstrous Polyphemus, the villain of the piece. Thus trimmed of one of its important if minor characters, this Acis and Galatea nevertheless presented the basic storyline in concisely effective fashion.  

It is a story in the pastoral tradition, set in a world of shepherds, nymphs and mythological characters (such as Polyphemus, the notorious one-eyed Cyclops). It opens with a bright, lively Sinfonia, following which the sixty-member chorus of Chora Nova sang of the pleasures of pastoral life. Then Galatea, a semi-divine sea-nymph, stepped forward, sung by soprano Ann Moss. She praises the verdant plains and woody mountains, lauds the purling streams and bubbling fountains, yet proclaims them unable to cool her love for Acis. As Galatea, Ann Moss then launched her first aria, in which she seeks to hush the warbling birds and invites them instead to bring back to her the absent Acis. Possessed of a silvery tone with bright high notes, Ann Moss delivered this aria beautifully, while the orchestra imitated the sound of birdcalls in strings, recorder, and oboes.  

Next Acis stepped forward, sung by tenor Mark Alexander Bonney. Tempor-arily separated from his beloved Galatea, Acis is tending his flocks, but his attention wanders as he asks where he might look for Galatea. In the role of Acis, Mark Alex-ander Bonney was a revelation! This is a tenor with a perfect voice for Baroque music! He sings with silken tone, great clarity of diction, and seemingly effortless breath control. Moreover, Bonney has plenty of power. Bonney’s rendition of the aria “Love in her eyes sits playing” was exquisitely sung. 

When Acis and Galatea reunite, Galatea sings another aria evoking birdcalls, this time likening herself to a female dove, which, reunited with her mate, spends the live-long day “billing, cooing, panting wooing.” Now Acis and Galatea join in a delightful duet, “Happy we!” This duet is soon taken up by the entire chorus, as Act I of Handel’s Acis and Galatea comes to an end. 

After intermission, Act II begins with a dark note of caution. The chorus sings that “Fate has passed this sad decree: no joy shall last.” They also note the forbidding approach of giant Polyphemus. This latter, sung by baritone Ben Kazez, enters in a rage. His first words, in fact, are “I rage – I melt – I burn!” It soon becomes clear that Polyphemus, like Acis, is enamored of fair Galatea. He launches into a lively aria in which he sings the praises of the maid he longs for. She, how-ever, wants nothing to do with this monster. When Polyphemus invites her to join him for a feast in his warm cave, Galatea rejects him in no uncertain terms. “Of infant limbs to make my food, and swill full draughts of human blood!” sings Galatea in horror, adding, “Go, monster, bid some other guest! I loathe the host, I loathe the feast.” 

Observing Polyphemus’s attempts to woo Galatea, Acis becomes enraged, and he readies himself to fight. As sung by tenor Mark Alexander Bonney, the aria “Love sounds the alarm” was for me the highlight of the evening, featuring a dazzling display of Bonney’s vocal agility, Handelian coloratura and sheer power. Alarmed, Galatea tries to calm Acis, reassuring him of her love. Then Acis and Galatea begin a duet pledging each other their unending love; but the duet soon becomes a trio as Polyphemus enters sounding an ominous note by singing “Torture! Fury! Rage! Despair!” This trio, which has been likened to some of Mozart’s vocal ensembles, proceeds with different emotions expressed simultaneously in strict counterpoint by different characters. It comes to an abrupt and unhappy end, however, when Polyphemus hurls a huge boulder at Acis, crushing him beneath its massive bulk. The dying Acis sings of Hades in a softly descending murmur.  

The chorus now offers a lament for gentle Acis. Overwhelmed with grief, Galatea begins a call-and-response duet between herself and the chorus, in which the latter tries to persuade Galatea to cease her grieving and use her semi-divine powers to grant Acis eternal life. This is eventually accomplished when Galatea transforms Acis into an immortal spring, as violins and oboes echo the murmuring, bubbling brook. The chorus then brings the opera to a close with a song celebrating the apotheosis of Acis brought about by the love of Galatea. 

While the focus of the evening was definitely on Handel’s Acis and Galatea, the program actually opened with two settings of religious anthems by 17^th century English composer Henry Purcell. The first anthem, “Beati omnes qui tement Dominium,” may have served Purcell as a wedding song upon his marriage to Frances Peters. In this work, baritone Ben Kezaz and soprano Ann Moss sang alternate verses interspersed among verses sung by the entire chorus. The second anthem, “Jehovah, quam multi sunt hostes mei,” featured tenor Mark Alexander Bonney and baritone Ben Kezaz. Conductor Paul Flight led his soloists, orchestra and chorus in fine, crisp interpretations of these short works by Purcell, as he also did in the brief two-act rendition of Handel’s Acis and Galatea.