| Significant evidence has been uncovered concerning the ornamentation of Handel's operatic singers, while little is known about the techniques of his oratorio singers. Today, the solos in Handel's English oratorios, if ornamented, are treated as one would treat his Italian operas. The application of elaborate operatic embellishments to Handel's oratorio solos in a modern-day performance presents a problem because Handel's Italian works were not direct models for his English oratorios. The purpose of this study is to provide a guide to ornamenting Handel's oratorios by examining primary and secondary sources that shed light on the composer's ornamental preferences for these works. Based on this research, ornamentation is applied to three sets of recitatives and arias from Handel's oratorios: Messiah (1741), which marks Handel's departure from the Italian operas to English oratorios; Judas Maccabaeus (1748); and Jephtha (1752), Handel's last oratorio. |
