L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

buy ticket

In the early 1630s, on the eve of the English Civil War, the poet John Milton wrote two poems depicting two opposing types of human character: L’Allegro (Mirth) and Il Penseroso (Melancholy ). Around one century later – peace and divine order having been restored – Handel’s librettist Charles Jennens put the two texts together and mixed them to avoid overly uniform musical passages. The result is a dialogue in which one of the title characters sets the tone in turn. Lastly, Jennens added a third part to the work, Il Moderato, a synthesis of the first two parts which seeks the good life in moderation and compromise – a remarkable acknowledgement coming from Jennens, who had the reputation of being a somewhat irascible character. Handel’s music to this libretto is a roller-coaster of changing feelings and thoughts which culminates in the duet As steals the morn – a simple, deeply moving melody which Mirth and Melancholy sing in harmony with one another.