‘The Opera of the Nobility’ was an opera company established in London (1733-37) to deliberately draw the public away from the successful performances already established there by Handel’s ‘Royal Academy of Music’. Because public support was insufficient to sustain both factions, the two companies were eventually bankrupted and closed down. The libretti of most of the operas created during this period may be read as partisan, disguising ‘political’ allusions, and satirising leading figures and events of the day. United we stand, divided we fall?

Michael Finnissy