Acis and Galatea

Handel's Acis and Galatea is a pastoral serenata, a form of 18th-century vocal music that blends elements of cantata, oratorio, and opera. It is shorter and less elaborate than an opera, typically performed by a small orchestra and costumed singers without extensive scenery.12

The story, drawn from Greek mythology, tells of Acis, a shepherd, and Galatea, a Nereid (sea nymph). They are in love, but Galatea is also pursued by the Cyclops Polyphemus. When Polyphemus discovers Acis and Galatea together, he kills Acis by crushing him with a boulder. Galatea transforms Acis's blood into a river bearing his name. Handel composed this work around 1718.341