George Frideric Handel, Arminio (1737)

Here's a milestone: I've now seen every Handel opera that I know of that's available in any English-subs-having form on video (there's still a handful of staged oratorios available that I haven't seen). That's fourteen, if I'm counting right, about a third of his total extant operatic output. In a way, it's exciting to know that given how many of these there are, one of the others could easily appear at any moment, but on another...get with the picture, people. Handel! He's great!

This is about Romans vs Germans, Arminio (based, very much sort of, on a historical figure) being a Germanic chieftain. He and his wife Tusnelda are captured, due to collaboration by her father, Segeste. Jerk! Arminio is going to be executed for refusing to submit to Rome. There's also another couple, Segeste's son Sigismondo and Arminio's sister Ramise. There's also a Roman general, Varo, who's in love with Tusnelda. This sets up a standard sort of plot, where eventually Varo is killed in combat, all the couples are together in the appropriate ways, and Segeste is reconciled with everyone.

This is a not-very-well-known opera, and it was kind of ignored in its time, for whatever reason. And really, I have no idea what reason there could be, because, well, it's a really good opera. I have run out of new ways to describe Handel operas. If indeed I ever had any. A lotta bangin' arias, a predictable but fun plot, WHATEVER.

You can watch it on youtube if you want, albeit without subtitles (that channel has A LOT of tantalizingly unsubtitled Handel--maybe if I were cooler, I'd watch them anyway like that). It's a somewhat odd production: it's...French-Revolution-themed, I guess? Eighteenth century at any rate. And you know my views about transplanting the action in operas, but this just feels pretty weird. Everyone in those elaborate costumes. I mean, it's fine, I don't object to it, I'm just wondering...why? There are few sexually suggestive moments also that I thought didn't really work. Again, not that I'm opposed to such things on principle. You've just gotta know when they're appropriate. Also, there's just a really puzzling part at the very very end where a figure, it's impossible to tell who, is audibly beheaded via guilliotine. THUNK. Who thought this made sense? I'd say it breaks the mood, and it sort of does, but more, it just makes you go, WTF? Guh?

That's okay. See it anyway. See all the Handel you can...handle. Sorry.