Opera Dilogy der Beglückte Florindo (“Florindo Made Happy”) and Die Verwandelte Daphne (“Daphne Metamorphosed”) by G.F. Handel / Problem of Plot Formation

Abstract

In line with the interest of domestic researchers in libretto of vintage operas and Baroque music theatre, this article turns over a new leaf of the G.F. Handel’s operas of his early period, and also puts them into the context of the performance traditions of the Hamburg State Opera at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Der beglückte Florindo (“Florindo made happy”) and Die verwandelte Daphne (“Daphne metamorphosed”) are the operas, which were performed on the stage of the Hamburg Theatre at the Gänsemarkt square (lit. Geese Market) and became not only the first G.F. Handel’s try on the genre of pastorals, but also a prime example of a Baroque opera dilogy. As the composer’s music sheets have been almost completely lost, the author is focused on the preserved texts of the libretto and sets an objective to identify their specificity in the context of plot formation of a Baroque opera. This article makes an attempt to analyze Handel’s opera dilogy in fine detail. Thus, the author reveals the underlying dramatic conflict between two gods – Phoebus and Cupid, determines the number of pairs of characters involved in the love dramaturgical line and provides schemes depicting their relationships. In addition, there are enlisted key plot motifs such as mutual/unrequited love motif, motif of suffering, death motif, hatred motif, revenge motif and guile motifs. The identification of the role of each of these motifs in the plot contributes to the confirmation of the hypothesis that Handel’s dilogy belongs to the traditional samples of the early 18th century operatic texts, which are distinguished by the complex intrigue, the intricate love relationships of characters, the typical plot and situational schemes