Il Trionfo del tempo e del disinganno

The extensive oeuvre of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) is firmly anchored in today’s stage repertoire. Yet we owe this only to the 20th century, when Handel’s works were brought back to the stage from Göttingen. A concept of repertoire as we know it today was largely foreign to artists and audiences of the Baroque period: compositions usually served an occasion - the result is an almost unimaginable abundance of compositions. This is also reflected in Handel’s oeuvre, which includes 42 operas and 25 oratorios.Handel’s first oratorio, "Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno" from 1707, was written in the course of his trip to Italy. It is about the beautiful Belezza and her dispute with Piacere (pleasure), Tempo (time) and Disinganno (knowledge). With its typically slender baroque orchestra and four solo voices alternating between recitatives, arias, duets, and quartets, the oratorio is entirely in the Italian oratorio tradition. The libretto was written by Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj.