Editing George Frideric Handel (section)

=== Opera at Covent Garden (1734–41) ===
[[File:Microcosm of London Plate 027 - Covent Garden Theatre edited.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Engraving of the interior of the [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden Theatre]] in London in 1808]]
In 1733, the [[William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]] received a letter with the following sentence: "Handel became so arbitrary a prince, that the Town murmurs." The board of chief investors expected Handel to retire when his contract ended, but Handel immediately looked for another theatre. In cooperation with [[John Rich (producer)|John Rich]], he started his third company at [[Covent Garden Theatre]]. Rich was renowned for his spectacular productions. He suggested Handel use his small chorus and introduce the dancing of [[Marie Sallé]], for whom Handel composed ''[[Terpsicore]]''. In 1735, he introduced organ concertos between the acts. For the first time, Handel allowed [[Gioacchino Conti]], who had no time to learn his part, to substitute arias.<ref>{{harvnb|Dean|2006|pp=274–284}}</ref> Financially, ''[[Ariodante]]'' was a failure, although he introduced ballet suites at the end of each act.<ref>{{harvnb|Dean|2006|p=288}}</ref> ''[[Alcina]]'', his last opera with a magic content, and ''[[Alexander's Feast (Handel)|Alexander's Feast]] or the Power of Music'' based on John Dryden's ''[[Alexander's Feast (Dryden)|Alexander's Feast]]'' starred [[Anna Maria Strada del Pò]] and [[John Beard (tenor)|John Beard]].

Early 1737 he produced ''Arminio'' and ''Giustino'', completed ''Berenice'', revived ''Partenope'', and continued with ''Il Parnasso in Festa'', ''Alexander's Feast'', and the revised ''[[The Triumph of Time and Truth]]'' which premiered on 23 March.<ref name="CHRISSOCHOIDIS, I. 2008">Chrissochoidis, I. (2008). "Handel Recovering: Fresh Light on His Affairs in 1737". ''Eighteenth Century Music'', 5(2), 237–244. {{doi|10.1017/S1478570608001504}}</ref> In April Handel suffered a mild stroke, or ''rheumatic palsy'', resulting in temporary paralysis in his right hand and arm. After brief signs of a recovery, he had a relapse in May, with an accompanying deterioration in his mental capacities. He had strong competition from [[John Frederick Lampe]]; ''[[The Dragon of Wantley (opera)|The Dragon of Wantley]]'' was first performed at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket in London on 16 May 1737. It was a parody of the Italian [[opera seria]].

In Autumn 1737 the fatigued Handel reluctantly followed the advice of his physicians and went to take the cure in the [[spa town]]s of [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], [[Aix-la-Chapelle]] ([[Burtscheid]]) in September.<ref name="CHRISSOCHOIDIS, I. 2008"/> All the symptoms of his "disorder" vanished by November. On Christmas Eve Handel finished the score of [[Faramondo]], but its composition was interrupted by that of the [[The Ways of Zion Do Mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline|Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline]]. On Boxing Day he began the composition of ''[[Serse]]'', the only comic opera that Handel ever wrote and worked with [[Elisabeth Duparc]].

A harp and organ concerto (HWV 294) and ''Alexander's Feast'' were published in 1738 by [[John Walsh (printer)|John Walsh]]. He composed music for a [[musical clock]] with a pipe organ built by Charles Clay; it was bought by [[Gerrit Braamcamp]] and was in 2016 acquired by the [[Museum Speelklok]] in Utrecht.<ref>[https://www.museumspeelklok.nl/zien-doen/agenda-nieuws/koninklijke-speelklok-wereldklasse-aangekocht/ "Koninklijke speelklok van wereldklasse aangekocht"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801052233/https://www.museumspeelklok.nl/zien-doen/agenda-nieuws/koninklijke-speelklok-wereldklasse-aangekocht/ |date=1 August 2020 }}, [[Museum Speelklok]], 14 November 2016 (in Dutch); [https://lookingthroughartblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/georg-friedrich-handel-and-the-braamcamp-clock/ "Georg Friedrich Händel and the Braamcamp clock"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801005208/https://lookingthroughartblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/georg-friedrich-handel-and-the-braamcamp-clock/ |date=1 August 2020 }} by Erma Hermens, 22 November 2018</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Ditto|first=Charles|title=Handel's Musical Clock Music|journal={{ill|Fontes Artis Musicae|qid=Q19196478}}|volume=44|number=3|date=July–September 1997|pages=266–280|jstor=23508494}}</ref> ''[[Deidamia (opera)|Deidamia]]'', his last opera, a co-production with the [[Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness|Earl of Holderness]],<ref>''A New Chronology of Venetian Opera and Related Genres, 1660–1760'' by Eleanor Selfridge-Field, p. 492</ref> was performed three times in 1741. Handel gave up the opera business, while he enjoyed more success with his English oratorios.{{sfn|Hicks|2013}}