Handel’s first comic opera Partenope was once dismissed as too frivolous. It enjoyed only modest success in its day and fell out of the repertoire for nearly two centuries.
Though frothy and fun, Partenope never reaches the musical or emotional heights of Handel’s great serious operas such as Alcina or Giulio Cesare. There are no heart-stopping arias like Ah, mio cor or Scherza infida, yet the score remains demanding. Today this light-hearted rom-com is better appreciated, especially when given a smart contemporary staging and an incisive translation.
First premiered in 2008 and revived in 2017, Christopher Alden’s award-winning ENO production returns, relocating the action to 1920s Parisian society. Andrew Lieberman’s set, inspired by surrealists like Dalí and Man Ray, immediately sets the tone: during the overture Emilio appears as a sinister, camera-wielding Man Ray figure.
Amanda Holden’s witty translation embraces the modern update—though the use of “st” and “fk” may divide opinion. Act 2 even features a toilet centre stage, complete with lines like “I hear her” as Partenope pulls the chain. Toilet humour is part of the design, and the audience clearly relished it—especially when Emilio becomes trapped and has to escape through the window above.
The plot turns on four rival suitors competing for Queen Partenope, using disguises, romantic misdirection and gender confusion. Not all are true rivals: one is a jilted lover (Rosmira/Eurimene) in disguise, seeking to shame her unfaithful partner Arsace. Alliances shift, friendships form, and each character plays their own game. Their mirrored costumes—matching suits in different colours, moustaches, cigarettes—underline the comic symmetry of their entanglements.
The action is often static, with much of the movement generated by the characters themselves. The large winding staircase is used to excellent comic effect.
A late cast change saw Christian Curnyn taken ill after Act 1, with William Cole stepping in superbly for Acts 2 and 3. Both conductors favoured extremely brisk tempi—sometimes too brisk. The singers’ da capo variations add extra notes, and at such speed there is little room for expressive shaping or breath. The music needs more space to breathe. Conventional appoggiaturas are also absent, depriving the otherwise buoyant exchanges of welcome moments of dramatic colour. Few characters are sympathetic; when Partenope taunts a rival with “watch me caress him to upset you,” her charm quickly reveals a rather unpleasant core. It is unusual to find oneself disliking the title role.
Partenope demands five outstanding singers, and ENO has delivered.
British soprano Nardus Williams is visually stunning in Partenope’s costumes and handles the formidable vocal writing with elegance and ease, though some top notes in the da capo sections sound pressed—again, the tempo leaves little room for preparation.
British tenor Ru Charlesworth (Emilio) and British mezzo Katie Bray (Eurimene/Rosmira) share the vocal honours. Charlesworth, reprising his 2017 role, sings with sparkle, clarity and impeccable diction. His top notes ring out effortlessly, and his comic timing is superb.
Bray confirms the qualities that earned her a Cardiff prize in 2019: a warm, expressive mezzo, strong technique, and thoughtful, stylish da capo ornamentation. She brings real emotional depth to Rosmira, who loves Arsace despite knowing he is, as she puts it, “such a s**t” and a “bounder.”
British countertenor Hugh Cutting impresses as Arsace, though his Act 2 showpiece “Raging tempests” would benefit from a slower tempo. Some lower notes are negotiated with noticeable gear-shifts into the chest register—something not heard in, for example, Iestyn Davies—but the performance is otherwise excellent.
American countertenor Jake Ingbar is a revelation as Armindo. He navigates his virtuosic music flawlessly while performing elaborate physical comedy: tumbling down stairs in slow motion, clinging to the banister mid-aria, tap-dancing, even turning a cartwheel. He brings wit and dimension to a character often written off as bland.
This brilliantly sung rarity is well worth catching. Judging by the enthusiastic response of a packed house, audiences will not be disappointed.
English National Opera at the Coliseum
Opera Buffa in Three Acts
Composer: Georg Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Libretto: Silvio Stampiglia
Director: Christopher Alden
Conductor: Christian Curnyn (Act 1), William Cole (Acts 2 & 3)
Set Design: Andrew Lieberman
Costumes: Jon Morrell
First Performance: King’s Theatre, London — 24 February 1730
Photo credit: Lloyd Winters