Rodrigo, HWV 5: Overture: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

$28.00 USD

Rodrigo, HWV 5: Overture: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Rodrigo, HWV 5: Overture: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A154202
Price: 28.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By George Frideric Handel

Item: 36-A154202

$28.00

Shipped

One moment…

The three-act opera Rodrigo, HWV 5, was composed in 1707 and was George Frideric Handel's (1685-1759) first opera in the Italian style. Telling the tale of the historical Rodrigo, the last Visigothic king of Spain, and his infidelity and forced abdication, the libretto was based on Il duello d'Amore e di Vendetta (The Conflict Between Love and Revenge) by Francesco Silvani. The premiere performance took place in Florence at the Teatro Cocomero in November of 1707, but much of the music was lost after. The opera has seen a revival since the 1980s as some of the lost fragments from Act III were found in 1983. The overture alone also finds its way on concert programs. Instrumentation: 0.2.0.1(opt): 0.0.0.0: Str (2-2-2-1-1 in set): Hpchd.

Rodrigo, HWV 5: Overture: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.

No sample pages found.

No sample audio found.

No sample videos found.

Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

UPC: 659359891526

SKU: 36-A154202

Instrumentation: 0.2.0.1(opt): 0.0.0.0: Str (2-2-2-1-1 in set): Hpchd

More about this title

About the Composer: George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a German-born composer who spent most of his career in England, where he became the dominant figure in opera and orchestral music during the early eighteenth century. He wrote more than forty operas across his lifetime, establishing the Italian opera seria style in London and composing instrumental works that defined the Baroque period's grandeur and melodic richness.

Handel's genius lay in his ability to craft singable, memorable melodies within sophisticated harmonic structures. His operas often explore themes of power, duty, and human passion, drawn from classical and historical sources. Beyond opera, his concertos, suites, and sacred music remain central to the orchestral and choral repertoire.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

The Rodrigo overture gives orchestras access to authentic Baroque style writing without the demands of a full staged production. It opens with the characteristic French overture style—slow homophonic section followed by a brisk fugal movement—that remains instantly recognizable and deeply satisfying to conduct and perform.

What to expect

The Rodrigo overture captures the ceremonial brilliance of Baroque opera without dramatic staging. The slow opening has a courtly, processional quality; the fugal Allegro that follows crackles with contrapuntal wit and forward momentum, building toward its final cadence with architectural clarity.

Who it's for

This overture works for orchestras seeking a manageable Baroque work that serves concert programs, special events, or educational contexts. The scoring is lean and transparent, making it suitable for advanced high school orchestras and college ensembles with solid fundamentals in Classical-era articulation and phrasing.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the slow opening section with clear terraced dynamics rather than a continuous crescendo; this honors the French overture convention and gives each harmonic block its own character.
Bring out the fugal subject in the faster section with crisp articulation in the upper strings and oboes, letting the bass line provide steady rhythmic support from the continuo.
Balance the optional French horn part with the oboes; if you omit the horn, the oboe line becomes the primary color in the upper register.
Use the harpsichord continuo as an anchor for ensemble cohesion, particularly during the contrapuntal passages where voices move independently.

How to use it

Program this as a substantial opening work on a Baroque or Classical concert, or pair it with other Handel instrumental music to create a focused aesthetic hour. It also works well as a bridge between a concerto grosso and a later symphonic work, demonstrating the stylistic evolution from Baroque to Classical forms.