Partenope

A shrewd politician, a jilted bride disguised as a man, and three upper crust, eager to marry gentlemen make for all kinds of confusion in Handel’s tragicomedy. The libretto drew on texts by the Roman poet Silvio Stampiglia, who prefered writing silly stories and biting comedy to moralising plots and pathos. His work’s got nothing to do with Partenope, the last Siren Odysseus encountered on his Odyssey. In Handel’s opera she’s foundress and Queen...