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George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Affanni del pensier" from Ottone
Composed: 1722, rev. 1723
Premiered: 1723, London
Duration: 7 minutes

Handel was fully entrenched in writing Italian-language operas in London by the time he composed Ottone. A group of aristocrats established the Royal Academy of Music (unrelated to today's institution) in 1719 in an effort to create a steady stream of Italian operas, and Handel was appointed the Master of the Orchestra, which allowed him to hire soloists and manage musicians.

Ottone opened the Royal Academy of Music's fourth season in 1723 with a cast of operatic superstars of the time. The opera's reception was phenomenal and saw great success in Handel's lifetime. Following the first few performances, demand for tickets was so great that they ended up being sold for much higher than face value.

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Affanni del pensier" from Ottone
Composed: 1722, rev. 1723
Premiered: 1723, London
Duration: 7 minutes

Handel was fully entrenched in writing Italian-language operas in London by the time he composed Ottone. A group of aristocrats established the Royal Academy of Music (unrelated to today's institution) in 1719 in an effort to create a steady stream of Italian operas, and Handel was appointed the Master of the Orchestra, which allowed him to hire soloists and manage musicians.

Ottone opened the Royal Academy of Music's fourth season in 1723 with a cast of operatic superstars of the time. The opera's reception was phenomenal and saw great success in Handel's lifetime. Following the first few performances, demand for tickets was so great that they ended up being sold for much higher than face value.