Composer

:

George Frederick Handel

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1731

Average_duration

:

160:58

Movement_count

:

73

Movement ....

"Poro, rè dell'Indie" is an opera seria in three acts composed by George Frederick Handel. The opera was first performed on February 2, 1731, at the King's Theatre in London. The libretto was written by Metastasio and was translated into Italian by Nicola Francesco Haym. The plot of "Poro, rè dell'Indie" revolves around the love story of Poro, the king of India, and Cleofide, the daughter of Alexander the Great. Poro is in love with Cleofide, but she is already engaged to his enemy, the Macedonian prince Alessandro. Poro tries to win Cleofide's heart by offering her his kingdom, but she refuses. Meanwhile, Alessandro is captured by Poro's army, and Poro decides to spare his life in exchange for Cleofide's hand in marriage. However, Cleofide is still in love with Alessandro and refuses to marry Poro. In the end, Alessandro and Poro make peace, and Cleofide is free to choose whom she wants to marry. The music of "Poro, rè dell'Indie" is characterized by Handel's signature style of opera seria, which features elaborate vocal ornamentation, recitative, and da capo arias. The opera includes several memorable arias, such as Poro's "Agitato da fiere tempeste" and Cleofide's "Se pietà di me non senti." The premiere of "Poro, rè dell'Indie" was a success, and the opera was performed several times during Handel's lifetime. However, it fell out of favor in the 19th century and was not revived until the 20th century. Today, "Poro, rè dell'Indie" is considered one of Handel's lesser-known operas but is still performed occasionally by opera companies around the world. Overall, "Poro, rè dell'Indie" is a classic example of Handel's mastery of the opera seria genre, featuring a compelling plot, memorable music, and complex characters.

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