Handel and the confus'd shepherdess: a case study of stylistic eclecticism

The aria ‘Son confusa pastorella’ was possibly the most popular number from Handel's operatic success of 1731, Poro, Rè dell'Indie, whose libretto was an altered version of Alessandro nell'Indie by the distinguished Italian poet, Metastasio. Through the text of this aria the poet presents the perhaps confusing image of an Indian princess ‘playing at pastoral’. To convey this complex picture to his London audience, Handel composed a beguiling set-piece with strong French connections, through his use of the musette and allusions to the fêtes galantes, combined with borrowings from Telemann. Handel's multi-layered response will be examined and contrasted with that of Metastasio's chosen composer, Leonardo Vinci.