NICOLA PORPORA (1686-1768): 12 Cantatas for Voice and Continuo, Op. 1.

Description: Porpora, espying an opportunity in England in 1735 as Handel’s popularity seemed to wane, quickly ingratiated himself with the nobility in Britain and his 12 cantatas, though probably written in Naples, were published under the patronage of the Prince of Wales. They enjoyed substantial success at the time, reflecting the primacy of Italian music across Europe, not least through Porpora’s masterly settings of Metastasio’s texts extolling Arcadian tastes and ideals. Italian-English texts.