Four suitors for one woman –one is a transvestite in disguise – is the point of departure of one of the most remarkable operas composed by Handel for the audiences of London. With Partenope, the Saxon composer employed a dramatic register that combined the antihero and satirical character of 17th century Venetian operas with the sentimental comedies of confusion that characterized opera buffa. Rejected by the head of the Royal Academy of Music because the libretto was a product of “the depraved taste of the Italian audience”, nonetheless, Partenope was such a commercial success that it was revived seven years later on the same stage at the King’s Theatre.

At a distance from the musical conventions of opera seria, the score of Partenope is lighter than customary, with its short arias and numerous ensembles. These push the action forward and bring it closer to a symbiosis between the singing voice and theatre. The stage direction of Christopher Alden –recipient of the Oliver Award for the Best New Opera Production in 2009– brings this delightful work to life in a sophisticated and urban setting inspired by the mansion of Nancy Cunard, where the world of photographer and visual artist Man Ray plays an important part.