GRMUS 607H — Purcell and Handel in Score

2 credits
Spring
Ellen Harris

Original sources for a baroque opera can range from none to overabundant. In this course we will look at the contrasting examples of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, for which no original materials survive and a Handel opera whose original sources are copious. These extremes present different difficulties for the editor and performer. By examining digital images, as well as the score of Dido in the Juilliard Manuscript Collection, we will evaluate current editions, considering the relative value of critical and performing scores, and have the opportunity to create and perform different options.