It is truly our delight to welcome you to Shenandoah Conservatory’s first touring operatic production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea. 

This opera, which speaks ultimately of the power of love to transcend and supercede death speaks to us all. Since I have been speaking to other individuals working in the arts about directing this work many have pointed out how much they love the music, or that this is the piece that really brought Baroque music to their attention. As a director one is always challenged with the concept of da capo arias that recycle the musical material — albeit with more extensive ornamentation — as you must find means in which to keep the music alive. But Acis and Galatea has a logic to it and each of its da capo arias feels like it intensifies the musical thought and gesture. 

I for one, adore this work and in our concert-staging we shall let the music speak for itself. We give you the text as it is, with the introduction of only one additional character — Handel himself, coming back to this story for the third time in his life. As an individual who never married. We have introduced this non-singing role into the opera in order to ground our concert staging in the composer himself whose fascination with the topic of Acis is a matter of intrigue to musicologists. Why has this man who ostensibly remained single his entire life become so enamored by a tale that celebrates the purity of idealized love. 

The music is a gift, and our talented cohort of students have been working hard in rehearsals since the start of term to gain command of the material. It’s been a wonderful experience putting this work together and we hope that you enjoy the show as much as we do. 

– Ella Marchment, director