In 2001, a long lost work by Handel was miraculously discovered.
The manuscript for Handel’s Gloria in excelsis Deo had been hiding in plain sight in the library of London’s Royal Academy of Music. Bound in a collection of Handel arias that had been owned by singer William Savage (1720-1789), the manuscript was not in the composer’s hand. It was authenticated by Hamburg University professor Hans Joachim Marx. The Academy’s principal, Curtis Price, commented, “The music is fresh, exuberant, and a little wild in places, but unmistakably Handel.”
The six-movement liturgical setting, a section of the Roman Catholic mass, is an early work. It was likely composed in 1707 shortly after Handel departed Germany for Rome. It is scored for coloratura soprano and strings. The vocal lines are brilliantly virtuosic. Marx observed, “Perhaps not too many sopranos will be able to perform this piece.”
This performance, recorded on May 19, 2024, is from the LanAntiqua music festival in Lana, South Tyrol, Italy. The soprano is Giulia Bolcato.
God only knows how much good music has been lost over the years. Isn’t wonderful that discoveries like this are made to bring some of it to light! A delightful piece of music.