The Elector and/or the King
Donald Macleod traces Handel鈥檚 move from Hanover to London, where operatic success and royal connections transform his career.
Donald Macleod follows Handel鈥檚 move north to Hanover and his increasingly decisive drift towards London. Appointed to the Elector鈥檚 court, he secured generous terms - including the freedom to travel - and wasted little time in doing so. London proved irresistible: success with Rinaldo made him a sensation, and the pull of the city soon outweighed his duties back in Germany. Handel鈥檚 returns to Hanover became brief and reluctant, as he repeatedly slipped back across the Channel in search of opportunity. The situation took an unexpected turn when his employer, the Elector Georg Ludwig, inherited the British throne as George I - leaving Handel, now firmly established in London, dependent once again on the favour of the very patron from whom he had struggled to run away...
Eternal Source of Light Divine
Elin Manahan Thomas, soprano
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Harry Christophers, conductor
In den angenehmen B眉schen (Nine German Arias)
Emma Kirkby, soprano
London Baroque
Rinaldo: Overture
Freiburger Barockorchester
Ren茅 Jacobs, conductor
Silla: Overture
London Handel Orchestra
Denys Darlow, conductor
Il pastor fido: Sol nel mezzo risona del core
Allan Clayton, tenor
The Mozartists
Ian Page, conductor
Water Music Suite No. 2 in D major
The English Concert
Trevor Pinnock, conductor
Produced by Ellie Ajao for 麻豆社 Audio Wales
On radio
Broadcast
- Tue 21 Jul 2026 16:00麻豆社 Radio 3
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