Masterpiece week Händel

- Hungry for new experiences, the young Handel travelled from Hamburg – the opera capital of the German-speaking lands – to the mecca of the Italian Baroque: Rome.

- Although opera was forbidden in the Eternal City, wealthy prelates found a morally acceptable answer to their longing for drama, virtuoso (female) singing and theatrical grandeur in oratorios.

- Il trionfo del Tempo recounts how Beauty, with the help of Time and Truth, triumphs over the temptations of Pleasure: four glittering roles that Handel assigned to some of Rome's most celebrated singers.

- Thanks to his Italian contacts, after settling in London, Handel became not only the greatest opera composer of his day, but also one of the most successful impresarios.