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Handel: Poro, Re Delle Indie
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Saturday March 25th 2023
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Crusades Room
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7pm | 2h50 with intermission
Cast
Christopher Lowrey Poro
Lucia Martin Carton Cleofide
Marco Angioloni Alessandro
Giuseppina Bridelli Erissena
Paul-Antoine Benos-Djian Gandarte
Alessandro Ravasio Timagene
Il Groviglio
Marco Angioloni Conductor
Presentation
At the height of his London fame, Handel created his 28th opera seria in 1731: a vocal pyrotechnics display on the military rivalry between Alexander the Great and the Indian King Porus. But the King’s sister, Erissena, is in love with Alexander, and Porus feels betrayed by his lover Cleofide!
Rage and disappointment, love and glory infuse the extraordinary arias that Handel entrusted to two of his favorite singers: the star castrato Senesino in the title role, and the soprano Anna Maria Strada del Pò as the master/traitor of his heart!
Show moreThe premiere of “Poro” was indeed a crucial moment for Handel: the economic fragility of the opera scene in London had led to the bankruptcy of his first Royal Academy of Music in 1728. However, Handel bounced back, and “Poro” was performed twenty times in 1731, an almost exceptional number, indicating the success of the work and the prestige of its cast. Then, in the relentless competition that constantly demanded new works, “Poro” was replaced by “Ezio,” but it was revived in 1736 (proof that Handel was banking on its success again) before falling into slumber for nearly three centuries…
The young tenor Marco Angioloni – who sings the role of Alexander – revives this opera on CD and in concert with his Ensemble Il Groviglio, and a magnificent cast that would have delighted Handel!
Programme
Opera in three acts with a libretto by Pietro Metastasio, premiered at the King’s Theatre in London in 1731.
Concert in Italian without surtitles.
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Download the programme of the show
The Crusades Room of the Château de Versailles
More infoAnd also…
2CD HANDEL – PORO, RE DELLE INDIE
N°123
