Sunday 16th July 2023, 6 pm

Arias for Senesino, Farinelli and Annibali Fabbri by Handel and Porpora

Logan Lopez Gonzalez countertenor
Marco Angioloni tenor
Il Groviglio and ISTANTE COLLECTIVE
Nicola Barbagli – oboe || Rebecca Harris – violin
Sam Ng – cello || Matthew Brown – harpsichord

It’s easy to imagine Handel arriving in London from his Italian adventures, the all-conquering hero, commanding the English operatic scene for the rest of his life. He was certainly an A-list celebrity at the top of the game, and of course like any good sport, his challengers waiting to bring him down.
Perhaps his most significant rival was the Opera of the Nobility. It was created in 1731, backed by the Prince of Wales, and directed by Nicola Porpora – a man who had a reputation among European composers – not a particularly favourable one. The battle lines were drawn.
A war of operas ensued, with companies fighting for both audiences and star performers, particularly the famed castrati – Senesino and Farinelli, prima donna Anna Maria Strada and tenor Annibale Fabbri – the dream team of any European opera house.
However hard they both tried, London couldn’t offer the economic conditions for either and both opera houses went bankrupt and closed their doors in 1737.

Il Groviglio and Istante Collective offer a wonderful insight into this tempestuous world and present the most dramatic works in Handel and Porpora’s operas.

*The concert will be a fundraising event for Handel’s Rinaldo (1731 version) first-ever recording, scheduled for August 2023 at Heath Street Baptist Church for Glossa Music

Programme

-G. F. Handel: Trio Sonata in B flat major HWV 380 (largo || allegro)
-G. F. Handel: “Chiudetevi miei lumi” from ‘Admeto’ HWV 22
-N. Porpora: “Vuò morire” from ‘Agrippina’
-N. Porpora: “Colombe compagne” from ‘Imeneo’
-G. F. Handel: “Vivi tiranno” from ‘Rodelinda’ HWV 19

-interval-

-G. F. Handel: Sonata in F for oboe and continuo HWV 363a (adagio || allegro)
-G. F. Handel: Sinfonia, accompagnato and aria “Son vinto o ciel… regno grandezza” from ‘Lotario’ HWV 26
-N. Porpora: “Alto Giove” from ‘Polifemo’
-G. F. Handel: Trio sonata in C minor HWV 386a (andante || allegro)
-G. F. Handel: “Il bel pianto dell’aurora” from ‘Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno’ HWV 46a