Franco Fagioli in Porpora's brilliant Polifemo

Franco Fagioli, Max Emanuel Cencic and Julia Lezhneva: a stellar cast for Nicola Porpora's Polifemo, Italian in London.

Porpora's answer to Handel
In 1733, the Neapolitan Nicola Porpora went to London at the request of a number of opera-loving aristocrats to compete with Handel's opera company. Italian opera was immensely popular in the English capital, and for audiences - including us! - that rivalry was a boon, as both composers were challenged to outdo themselves. Polifemo is the last of Porpora's London operas and tells the story of the cyclops Polyphemus. Greek mythology provided perfect source material for librettists who did not feel like being stuck with Biblical or historical facts. Moreover, there was plenty of room for magic and supernatural effects.

Fagioli and Cencic following in the footsteps of Farinelli and Senesino
The London performances of Polifemo were a resounding success. The London Daily Post was talking about the biggest crowd-pleaser of the season. That may also have been due to the fact that Polifemo was the opera in which the famous castrato Farinelli made his London debut. Alongside him, Senesino, that other superstar, was part of the cast. With countertenors Franco Fagioli and Max Emanuel Cencic, we are assured of vocal fireworks in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw as well.