Partenope was Handel’s first comic opera and was first performed in1730 at the King’s Theatre, London. It is the tale of Queen Partenope’s search for love and the romantic complications she and her circle of suitors encounter along the way. I attended the opening night of Partenope to see Christopher Alden’s award-winning staging of Handel’s…
Tag: partenope
‘Partenope’ at English National Opera
English National Opera’s 2016/17 season closes with a welcome revival of Christopher Alden’s Olivier Award-winning 2008 production of G. F. Handel’s Partenope, first staged in 1730. The plot, daft even by Baroque comic opera standards, revolves around the mythical Partelope, Queen of Naples, and her multiple suitors. Awash with braggadocio, cross-dressing and sexual intrigue, Silvio…