Handel (George Frideric, composer, 1685-1759), Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer and violinist, 1690-1768 & Farinelli, stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi, celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera, 1705-82.- ?Lovelace (Nevill, d. 1736) Autograph Letter signed to William Breton, via The Rt Honble George Doddington at Eastbury near Blandford, 3½pp., sm. 4to, London, 2nd December 1735, on the reception of Veracini's Adriano in Siria, "I wrote you a long letter from Bath & then told you what was doing in relation to Veracini's Opera. I found soon after it was not possible to get it put off... . It was acted on Tuesday last for the first time & was receiv'd very coldly, Farinello was sick & did not sing worth a button. The King [George II] says it is an hour & ½ too long & the Prince [Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707-51)], says he'll come no more... neither Handel nor Porpora made it & they have great Protectors at Court. However the Foreigners in general declare openly for it & all our Country men who have got over their prejudices by hearing Operas in Italy stand up in favour of it... I have made great enquiry, on Saturday the House was thin, yet they took... 1408 dd pounds & 9... it has all the disadvantages an opera could have, all Veracini's friends exept Sr. Francis Dashwood & myself in the Country, the Court prejudiced against him, Porpora jealous of him, Handel no freind [sic], Farinello sick & his part not spoild but injur'd... they thought proper to change the best pathetick song...", tear where opened, folds, browned.
⁂ Adriano in Siria (Hadrian in Syria) is a libretto by Italian poet Metastasio first performed, with music by Antonio Caldara, in Vienna in 1732, and turned into an opera of 1735 by Francesco Maria Veracini, written for the short-lived but ambitious Opera of the Nobility in London, the role was sung by Farinelli, joined in an all-star cast by Senesino, Francesca Cuzzoni and Antonio Montagnana (Burden 2007, 31). George Frederic Handel was present at the premiere in Haymarket Theatre. However, the work enjoyed a run of twenty performances over six months.
Niccolò Porpora (1686-1768), Neapolitan composer of Baroque operas and teacher of singing, whose most famous singing student was the castrato Farinelli.