ABSTRACT

George Frideric Handel wrote about one hundred Italian cantatas, and most of which were written during his visits in Italy during 1707-1710. Handel's Italian journey was a milestone in his creative life. He visited several important music cities where he learned the vocal style and the chamber cantata of Alessandre Scarlatti, and other Italian masters.

The Italian influences on Handel's solo cantatas are evident in the variety of musical styles-the delicate, slow bel-canto cantilena melody, and the use of concerted style. Nearly two-third of his cantatas are for solo voice with basso continue, and the others areaccompanied by strings, occasionaly with one or two solo instruments obligato. The structure of nearly half of the solo cantatas comprises two arias, each preceded by a recitative in the pattern of R-A-R-A, or A-R-A. Handel also wrote some dramatic chamber cantatas which comprises longer sections. The da capo, siciliana, binary in dance, strophic, and through-composed forms are mostly found in the arias of Handl's chamber cantatas.

The Italian cantatas are Handel's early works. Through the writing of the cantatas he indebted the vocal writing from his Italian predecessors. Handel made the chamber cantata his training ground in Italian operatic technique and emerged from his exercise of his §kill.soundly equipped for his London venture in operatic stage.