“Ancient Music” in Handel: The Ramifications of the Bononcini- Lotti Affair on the Academy’s Experiment in English Opera

In the vibrant operatic milieu of eighteenth-century London, 1732 marked a significant juncture in George Frideric Handel’s career with the performance of his Esther (HWV 50a) in February, directed by Bernard Gates, and the debut of his English theatre oratorio Esther (HWV 50b) in May. The demise of the Royal Academy of Music around this time heralded a period of change for Handel and influenced the direction of the Academy of Ancient Music, which was emerging from its former self, the Academy of Vocal Music.