Handel's Leading Ladies

George Frideric Handel
- Concerto Grosso Op.6 No.6
- Torni omai la pace from Tolomeo
- No, più soffrir non voglio from Alessandro
Giovanni Bononcini
- Prelude from Il Lamento d’Olimpia
George Frideric Handel
- False Imagine from Ottone
Giovanni Bononcini
- Difese mi giurasti from AstianatteJohn Butt, director
Nardus Williams, soprano
Paul Whittaker, bsl interpreter (Perth & Glasgow)In 18th-century London, the operatic stage was as much a site of social spectacle as of musical innovation, shaped by star performers, fashionable audiences and the ambitions of a rapidly expanding cultural scene. At its centre stood Handel, whose works were brought vividly to life by leading international singers and musicians, two of whom were italian rivals, Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni.Fuelled by public intrigue and partisan audiences, their famed rivalry became part of London’s cultural fabric, as did the striking contrast between their voices: Cuzzoni’s pure, expressive lyricism set against Bordoni’s brilliance and virtuosity.Pre-concert talk with John Butt in Glasgow and Edinburgh at 6.30pm.The performances in Perth and Glasgow are part of our Deaf Season and will be BSL interpreted – further information on our Deaf Season can be found here.If you have access requirements, please contact info@dunedin-consort.org.uk and we will reserve seating for you.