The Sixteen/Christophers - George Frideric Handel: Acis and Galatea

Handel�s pastoral opera is a tale of love, tragedy and liberation. The libretto by John Gay, based on Ovid�s Metamorphoses (book XIII), tells of the eternal love between the mortal shepherd Acis and goddess Galatea and how it is doomed by the jealous cyclops Polyphemus. Handel�s music beautifully demonstrates the pain and love in such beautiful, dramatic choruses as �Wretched lovers!� and the grief felt by Galatea in �Must I my Acis still bemoan�. Staying true to the premiere in 1718, just five singers and nine instrumentalists feature on this intimate recording.