La Lucrezia

O
Numi eterni is the first recitative in La Lucrezia, one of the most famous
cantatas, written by Handel from his days in Italy between 1706 and 1709.
Secular cantatas had a far greater following in Italy than in Handel’s native
Germany and the story of the Rape of Lucretia from Livy’s The Early History of Rome would have been widely known, Livy being
one of the most read authors of the 17^th century. The Rape of Lucretia was a favourite
theme among musicians, poets and visual artists. The survival of an unusually
large number of manuscript copies of La
Lucrezia suggests that this was one of Handel’s most popular chamber music
pieces during his lifetime.

Livy’s account of the Rape of Lucretia
is as the catalyst for the overthrow of the early kings of Rome and the
establishment of the Republic. King Tarquin the Proud had a son, Sextus, who
raped Lucretia while her husband was away at war. When her husband returned she
summoned him and her father, confessed what happened and then committed
suicide. It is a part that allows a soprano to show off her powers, both
musical and dramatic.

La
Lucrezia is a miniature operatic scene for soprano solo and
is a masterpiece of characterisation. We are led by the impassioned singing of
Lucretia as she vacillates between rage and vengeance, and self-condemnation
and shame. The drama takes place just before her suicide and the final verses
describe the act itself. The opening O
Numi eterni is a prayer oh eternal
Gods! Oh stars who strike down impious tyrants, answer my prayers. The
prayer calls for divine vengeance. Lucretia’s furious words are captured by the
almost frantic nature of the melody, full of leaps and strongly accented notes.

The first aria is smoother and decidedly
more plaintive and sorrowful. In this aria we see the foreshadowing of the
dramatic and vocal powers required for the part as the soprano hits the
climactic high note for the word Fate.

Next Lucretia expresses guilt and fear
that the gods will not heed her prayers because of what has happened. This is
where we begin to see Lucretia’s feelings move from rage at Sextus to
recriminations against herself. But these are put aside for a classic vengeance
aria, one of the most impassioned verses in the piece.

The drama continues with Lucretia’s
intention to commit suicide the steel to
which I fearlessly grasp. The music reflects the tragedy of her situation
and her self-loathing, summed up in the single line arioso Brings to the faithless body its punishment, and the time given to
this one line encapsulates Lucretia’s state of mind. An instrumental solo
closes the verse.

As the end approaches she is no longer
addressing the gods, but her father and husband. She declares once more her
intention to put the family’s honour above her life and hopes that doing so
will bring forgiveness. The second arioso is when we can imagine, were we
watching an opera, the action would have taken place and Lucretia kills
herself. It is quickly followed by the finale, full of sorrow and vengeance.
The music is sorrowful, but agitated with heavily accented bowing in the
accompaniment that seem to reflect the uneven final heartbeats of Lucretia.

Lyrics

Recitativo: O
Numi eterni!

Recitativo: Ma
voi forse nel Cielo

Aria: Il suol
che preme

Recitativo: Ah! che ancor nel abisso

Arioso: Alla salma infedel porga la pena

Recitativo: A
voi, padre

Recitativo: Sento
ch’il cor si scuote