R.M.20.a.7

The recitative ‘Ah che questo’ and air ‘Il primo ardor’ (Act I, sc. 11; H-G., pp. 48-50) and the King’s air ‘Più contento’ (Act II, sc. 6, H-G., p. 82) are not present in this MS. ff. 7v, 24, 62v, 72v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank.

Points of note:

1. f. 1. Overture. At the foot of the page: ‘August 12. 1734 angefangen’.

2. f. 4. Overture. Last movement (transferred in H-G. to pp. 137-8). After the repeat the following 12 bars are marked: ‘Violin senza Hautb. e Bassons’; the next 5 bars: ‘Hautbois e Bassons senza Violin’.

3. f. 6. Act I, sc. 1. A long passage in ‘Vezzi lusinghe’ is crossed out.

4. ff. 8v-9v. Sc. 2. Several passages in ‘Orrida agli occhi’ are crossed out.

5. f. 14v. Sc. 5. Passages in the part of Ariodante, as transposed for Soprano, are marked here (and in other places) in pencil.

6. ff. 20-22. Sc. 7. The King’s air, ‘Voli colla sua tromba’, has passages crossed out in pencil which are not printed in H-G., pp. 26-29.

7. f. 22v. Sc. 8. A new setting of the recitative ‘Oh felice mio core’ is written in pencil with the direction: ‘Aria ex F’.

8 f. 23-27. ‘Con l’ali di costanza’ (H-G. version A). Various passages are crossed out in ink.

9. f. 36v. Sc. 12. At the end of the chorus ‘Si godete’: ‘Agost 28 : 1734’. The Musettes and Allegro in H-G., pp. 59-61, and the direction for the chorus are not in the MS. (Cf. Fitzwilliam MSS., No. 258).

10. f. 43. Act II, sc. 3. The recitative is marked ‘un tono piu alto’ (in pencil).

11. ff. 46-49v. Act II, sc. 4. ‘Se tanto piace’ (H-G. p. 74): the recitatives which begin the scene are on ff. 48-49 and are followed by a second setting of ‘Se tanto piace’ (not in H-G.), partly crossed out in ink.

12. ff. 61-62. Sc. 10. The Act ends as follows: on f. 61r, at the end of Ginevra’s air ‘Il mio crudel martoro’ Handel has written: ‘Fine dell’Atto 2do li 9 di Settembre 1734’, but has afterwards crossed out the first four words, and written at the end of the air: ‘agitata si addormenta sopra d’un sasso’. On the next page (f. 61v) there follows a setting of ‘Entrée des songs agréables’, which is crossed out, then the setting of the Entrée printed in Alcina (H-G. LXXXVI, p. 105), followed by a sketch of the ‘Entrée des songs agréables effrayés’; and on the next page (f. 62), ‘Si risveglia sorpresa’ and the recitative ‘Che vidi?’ (as printed in Alcina). At the end: ‘Fine dell’Atto 2do’. The ‘Entrée de’ Mori’ and Rondeau (H-G., pp. 95, 96) are not in the MS. (Cf. Fitzwilliam MSS., No. 258).

13. f. 66. Act III, sc. 2. The recitative ‘Ingrato Polinesso’(H-G., pp. 100) is crossed out in the MS.

14. ff. 71-77v. Sc. 4. The beginnings of two settings of ‘Al sen ti stringo’ are crossed out.

15. f. 76. An inserted leaf with a note by F. Nicolai.

16. ff. 90-96v. Sc. 13. The act ends as follows: The chorus ‘Ogn’uno acclami’ is followed (f.93v) by a Gavotte (not in H-G.); the Rondeau (f. 94, H-G., p. 139); the first bars of the third movement of the Overture (f. 95); an Andante Allegro (f. 95, H-G., p. 142) and the chorus ‘Sà trionfar’ (f. 96). At the end, on f. 96v: ‘Fine dell’Opera Octobr 24, 1734’.

Frederick Nicolay, royal musician and librarian: Handel's autograph scores annotated by: circa 1760- circa 1809: Autogr.

Antonio Salvi, librettist: Handel's 'Ariodante' , after a text by Antonio Salvi: 1734-circa 1740: Ital.

Antonio Salvi, librettist: Ludovico Ariosto, poet: Handel's 'Ariodante' adapted from a libretto by Antonio Salvi, after a text by Ludovico Ariosto: 1734: Ital.