The Art of Procuring a Patron

Available for 29 days

Donald Macleod begins a week exploring Handel’s relationships with the powerful figures who shaped his career. In Italy, the young composer made his name among aristocratic and ecclesiastical patrons, navigating a world of salons, academies and private performances. Rome offered opportunity despite restrictions on opera, while figures such as Cardinal Ottoboni and the Marchese Ruspoli provided both platforms and protection. Handel’s independence, however, remained striking: even while relying on patronage, he avoided being tied too closely to any single employer. Dixit Dominus George Frideric Handel Harry Christophers, conductor The Sixteen Tu fedel? Tu costante?: Recitative and aria George Frideric Handel Carlotta Colombo, soprano Fantazyas Rodrigo: Overture, recitative and aria George Frideric Handel Il Complesso Barocco Alan Curtis, conductor Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno: Overture George Frideric Handel Le Concert d’Astrée Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno: “Pure del cielo” George Frideric Handel Sabine Devieilhe, soprano Pygmalion Raphaël Pichon, conductor La Resurrezione: excerpts George Frideric Handel Les Musiciens du Louvre Marc Minkowski, conductor Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales