Of all the operas written by Handel, Acis and Galatea originally possibly written as a masque or little opera has never passed from the repertoire since its first public performances in 1731. It is considered the pinnacle ofEnglish pastoral opera and has been adapted and arranged many times.This Soprano aria, As When the Dove Laments Her Love, is frequently performed as a recital piece, requiring a Vocal dexterity in a short cadenza-like phrasebefore the cadence.