R.M.20.f.10

Fragments of the 1737 version. The Overture (on ff. 69-78) and many notes and corrections in Handel’s autograph. Between ff. 16 and 17 is a single leaf, ruled with staves but otherwise blank, not foliated; f.19v is ruled with staves but otherwise blank.

Points of note:

1. f. 1. ‘Qual veggo il mio sembiante’. Recitative (H-G. XXIV, p. 99) followed by ‘Fido specchio’ (H-G. XX, p. 15, with English words). Note at the bottom of the page: ‘London angefangen ohnegefehr den 2. March 17[37]’.

2. f. 2v. ‘Io che sono il Piacere’. Recitative (H-G., p. XXIV, p. 99), followed by ‘Fosco genio’ (H-G. XX, p. 18, with English words).

3. f. 4v. ‘Ed io che il Tempo sono… e bello, e more’. Recitatives (H-G. XXIV, p. 99). Note at the end: ‘Siegue l’Aria del Disinganno se la bellezza perde vaghezza’. ‘Dunque si prendan l’armi… il Disinganno’. Recitatives (H-G. XXIV, p. 99).

4. f. 5. ‘Una schiera di piaceri’. Air (S.) (H-G. XX, p. 29, with English words).

5. f. 7. ‘I Colossi del Sole’. Recitative (A.) (not in H-G., followed by ‘Urne voi’, Air (A.) (H-G. XX, p. 33, with English words).

6. f. 9v. ‘Son larve di dolor’. Chorus (H-G., p. 99).

7. ff. 11-12. ‘Son troppo crudeli i tuoi consigli’. Recitative for Piacere (S.), with different music in H-G. XX, p. 20. Note at the end: ‘Segue l’aria un pensiero’. Recitatives (words only) headed ‘Come stà’: ‘Folle tu nieghi… allor si gode’ (H-G. XX, p. 28). At the end: ‘Segue l’aria nasce l’uomo’.

8. ff. 12v-14. ‘L’uomo sempre se stesso’. Chorus (H-G. XX, p. 66, with English Words). At the end (f. 14): ‘Fine della parte prima’.

9. f. 14v. ‘Parte 2da. Concerto. questa è la reggia mia il Recit. come sta. una Sonatina a Violino solo sub litera A [f. 15 v.]’. The recitative for Bellezza: ‘Taci qual sono’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 103). ‘Un leggiadro giovinetto’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 103), down to the end of the second beat of bar 7.

10. f. 15. ‘Un pensiero nemico di pace’. The voice part only of an air (S.); a different setting from those in H-G. XXIV, pp. 26, 112.

11. f. 15v. ‘Sonatina. Violino solo’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 103). Note at the end: ‘taci et segue l’aria un leggiadro’.

12. f. 16. ‘Sonatina. Carillons nell’Atto 2do. Rec: ite pallide cure ite in esiglio [sic]. Sonatina’ (not in H-G.). The Violin part only. Note at the end of the Sonatina: ‘Rec. taci qual suono ascolto’. ‘Aria. Andante’. The Violin part of a setting of ‘Un leggiadro giovinetto’, different from the one in H-G. XXIV, pp. 39, 103.

13. f. 17. Continuation of ‘Un leggiadro giovinetto’ from f. 15v. The last ten bars (H-G XXIV, p. 105) are wanting.

14. f. 19. Note ‘B per la 2da volta’. The Ritornello (instrumental parts only) of part of a setting of ‘Venga il Tempo; different from those in H-G. XXIV, p. 42, and XX, p. 106. Note at the end: ‘Segue l’Aria Crede l’uom’.

15. f. 20. ‘Se non sei più ministro’. Quartet (H-G. XXIV, p. 106).

16. f. 22v. ‘Se del falso piacer’. Recitative for Tempo (A.). Different from the settings in H-G. XXIV, p. 54, and XX, p. 116. At the end (f. 23): ‘Segue l’aria del piacere chiudi, chiudi i vaghi rai’.

17. f. 23. ‘In tre parti divise’. Recitative for Tempo (A.). Different from the setting in H-G. XXIV, p. 57.

18. f. 23v. ‘Io sperai trovar’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 109).

19. f. 25. ‘Tu vivi in van dolente’. Recitative for Piacere (S.), crossed out in ink, followed by theAria in H-G. XXIV, p. 112, the original words of which began ‘Tu giurasti di mai’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 60). These have been crossed out in ink and replaced by the words in H-G.

20. f. 26v. ‘Sguardo che inferno’. Recitative. A different setting from that in H-G. XXIV, p. 62. Note at the end: ‘Segue l’Aria della Bellezza, Io vorrei due cori in seno ex H’.

21. f. 27. The last eight bars of a setting of ‘Io vorrei due cori’ (with English words in H-G. XX, p. 124). Note at the end: ‘Rec. del Disinganno, etc., un tono piu alto ex G [flat]. l’Aria del Disinganno piu non cura un tono piu alto ex C’. ‘E un ostinato error’. Recitative for Tempo (A.) different from the settings in H-G. XXIV, p. 65 and XX, p. 127.

22. f. 27v. ‘E ben folle quel nocchier’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 114).

23. f. 29. ‘Dicesti il vero’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 115).

24. f. 29v. ‘Voglio tempo per risolvere’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 115). Note at the end: ‘Coro. Pria che si converta in polve, segui il ben e cangia il cor’. Only the clefs and signatures of the chorus are written.

25. f. 32. ‘Parte Terza. Bellezza e Disinganno Recit. come sta’. ‘Lascia la spina’ (H-G., XX, p. 138, with English words). Note at the end: ‘Il Recit. della Bell. e Dis. seguente con troppe chiare note, come stà’.

26. f. 32v. ‘Voglio cangiar desio’ (H-G. XX, p. 140, with English words).

27. f. 33v. ‘Quando mancarmi’. Recitative. Different from the setting in H-G. XXIV, p. 79. Note at the end: ‘Recit: Or che tiene come sta. l’aria chi gia fu ex A’. ‘Ma che veggio’. A different setting from that in H-G. XXIV, p. 81. At the end: ‘resta fuora l’Aria’ ‘Ricco pino’. ‘Segue l’accompagn.: Si bella penitenza come stà’. ‘Segue l’aria del tempo, il bel pianto’.

28. f. 34. ‘Il bel pianto’. Aria for Tempo (A.) (H-G. XX, p. 150, with English words).

29. f. 35. ‘Piacer che meco’. Recitative. A different setting from that in H-G. XXIV, p. 87.

30. f. 35v. ‘Come nembo che fugge’ (H-G. XXIV, p. 117).

31. f. 38. ‘Or se la verità’. Accompanied recitative for Bellezza, leading to ‘Quel del Ciel ministro’. Aria. The recitative is in neither H-G. XXIV nor XX. The Aria is in H-G. XX, pp. 161-3, with English words.

32. f. 39v. (End of ‘quel del Ciel’). ‘Segue il Concerto per l’organo e poi l’Alleluja. Fine dell’Oratorio G. F. Handel London March 14 1737’.

Thomas Morell, DD: Benedetto Pamphili, Cardinal, writer: Handel's 'The Triumph of Time and Truth' (HWV71) to a libretto by Thomas Morell, after a text by Benedetto Pamphili: 1737-circa 1770.