LaRue, C. Steven, Handel and His Singers: The Creation of the Royal Academy Operas, 1720-1728 (Oxford Monographs on Music), Clarendon Press, 1995

8vo. 232pp. Black cloth w/gold title to spine. Housed in an illustrated jacket. Jacket slightly faded, otherwise no faults to mention. In impeccable condition throughout. Close examination of Handel’s autograph manuscripts, the librettos upon which they were based, and other contemporary documents, reveal the extent to which Handel was influenced by his singers and their abilities in creating his commercially successful and dramatically effective operas. Drawing on evidence from these sources, the author demonstrates the fact that Handel’s singers (such as Francesco Borosini, Margherita Durastanti, Francesca Cuzzoni, and Faustina Bordoni) were the single most important influence on his opera composition during his tenure as composer and music director of the Royal Academy of Music from 1719-28.