ABSTRACT
Handel's education as an opera composer began in Hamburg, where the Theater am Gänsemarkt had opened in 1678. The only published evidence that Handel's operas are indebted to Steffani's is presented in Richard King's doctoral dissertation. Doctoral dissertation demonstrates convincingly that Handel's Alessandro was heavily dependant both on the libretto, by Ortensio Mauro, and on the music of Steffani's La Superbia d'Alessandro. Steffani's Hanover operas were known outside Hanover several years before Handel left Halle. It was during the five-year period when Steffani's operas dominated the repertory at the Gänsemarkt theatre that Keiser first moved to Hamburg. Since Keiser was a major influence on Handel, it should interest Handelians to know that Keiser's operas display many similarities with the Hanover operas of Steffani. Handel's operas display features that are found in the works of both of his predecessors, as well as vigorous orchestral writing more characteristic of Keiser than of Steffani.
