Performances by La Durastante II

Margherita Durastanti:

List of major vocal works (operas, serenades and oratorios)

Part II

1720 – 1734

© Anita Sikora

Following Durastanti’s operas in Italy and Dresden (https://baroque35.wordpress.com/2016/07/24/performances-by-la-durastante/) here is the list of her London years.

The gap year 1720/1721 was obviously a spontaneous decision taken in Munich, Bavaria, when Durastanti was about to travel to England after she had performed at the Elector’s theatre for a few nights. Was she perhaps pregnant again (in March 1721 she had already given birth to a child)? Or was she afraid of an epidemic in France and Belgium? This needs to be researched more. The official reason given by her was ill health.

When Durastanti left London in summer 1724 she was pregnant again (see: Lindgren: “Musicians and Librettists in the Correspondance of Gio. Giacomo Zamboni” in Research Chronicle, London 1991, letter by Zamboni in winter 1724/25), and hoped to get back (as a 1725 letter by Owen Swiney mentioning her husband Avelloni shows), but it did not happen until 1733.

As to her London roles, we see that she started in castrato roles, but with the arrival of Senesino in autumn 1720 took over the leading female roles (mostly femme fortes). After her gap year, Cuzzoni had taken over the prima donna role, and Durastanti created various roles, from a boy in his youth to an aristocratic villain.

In her comback season 1733/34 Handel prepared a performance with her in the second female role in Arbace (Semira), but when the bass Gustavo Waltz was suddenly not available, Durastanti took over his role of the villaineous father.

There were four benefit performances for Durastanti, but only three are mentioned here, as the first was a concert of cantatas in summer 1720.

In this list I have included all dates of the London performances. This enables us to see how busy Durastanti (or any other major colleague of hers) was.

Title:	Year/Date/ Season (here always Julian calendar):1	Place of performance:	Composer (Librettist):	Role:
Numitore	2 April 1720 > April 2/5/9/19/23 > June 26	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Giovanni Porta ( Paolo Rolli)	Romolo, fratello di Remo
Radamisto	27 April 1720 > April 30 > May 4/7/11/ 14/18/21 > June 8/22	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym after Salvi and Norris)	Radamisto, figlio di Farasmane, Re di Tracia
Narciso (after ‘Amore d’un ombra gelosia du’un aura’)	30 May 1720 > June 2/11/15/18	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Domenico Scarlatti/Thomas Roseingrave (Rolli, after Capece)	Narciso, cacciatore, famoso per la sua bellezza
L’Astarto	19 November 1720 > Nov. 23/26/30. > Dec 3/7/10/14/17/21 (1720) > Jan 7/11/14/18/28 > March 4/7/11/15/18/23/28 >April 1/11 >June 24/28 (1721)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (Rolli after Pariati)	Elisa, Queen of Tyre/Regina di Tiro
Radamisto, (revival with Senesino)	28 December 1720 >Dec 31. (1720) > Jan. 4 > Febr 21/25 > March 21/25 (1721)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (Haym after Lalli/Norris)	Zenobia, moglie di Radamisto, figlio di Farasmane, Re di Tracia
Arsace (after ‘L’amore e maestà’, tragedia) (Tragedia)	1 February 1721 > Feb 1/8/11/15/18/23/28 > May 10	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Giuseppe Maria Orlandini/Filippo Amadei (Rolli)	Statira, Regina di Persia
La gloria di primavera (serenata)	29 March 1721	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Alessandro Scarlatti (adapted by ?)	Estate
Muzio Scevola	15 April 1721 > April 19/22/26/29 > May 6/13/17 > June 7	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Amadei (Atto I) Bononcini (Atto II) G. F. Handel (Atto III) (Rolli)	Clelia, Virgine Romana
L’Odio e l’Amore (Ciro)	20 May 1721 > May 24/31 > June 3/10/17/21 > July 1	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (Rolli after Norris)	Tomiri, Regina di Messageti
L’Amor d’Amico (Pirro e Demetrio )	12 October 1721 (Gregorian calender)	München/ Munich	Pietro Torri (Morselli)	Deidamia, sorella di Pirro, Re dell’Epiro
Carnevale 1721/1722	??	??	??	??
Muzio Scevola (revival)	November 7/10/13 (1722)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Amadei (Atto I) Bononcini (Atto II) G. F. Handel (Atto III) (Rolli)	Clelia, Virgine Romana
L’Odio e l’Amore (Ciro) (revival)	>Nov 17/20/24/27 > Dec 1 (1722)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (Rolli after Norris)	Tomiri, Regina di Messageti
Floridante (last season’s revival)	> Dec 4/8/11/15/18/22/26 (1722)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (Rolli after Silvani’s „La Costanza in trionfo“)	Rossane, Oronte’s daughter, who is thre King of Persia
Crispo (last season’s revival)	>Dec 29 (1722) >Jan 2/5/8 (1723)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (Rolli after Lemer)	Fausta (?)2
Ottone	12 January 1723 > Jan. 12/15/19/ 22/26/29 > Febr. 2/5/9/12/16 > March 26 > June 4/8 (1723)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym after Pallavicino)	Gismonda, Vedova di Berengario Tiranno d’Italia, madre di Adelberto
Coroliano (Cajo Marzio Coroliano)	19 February 1723 > Febr. 23/26 > March 2/5/9/16/19/23/26 12 March: benefit performance > April 23 > May 7/11 (1723)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Attilio Ariosti (N. F. Haym)	Veturia, madre di Coroliano e di Claudia
Erminia (favola pastorale)	30 March 1723 >April 2/6/16/20/27/30 May 4	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (D. O. Petrosellini)	Erminia
Flavio	14 May 1723 > May 18/ 21/25/27/30 > June 11/15	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym)	Vitige, amante di Teodata, the King’s adjutant
Farnace	27 November 1723 > Nov 30 > Dec 4/7 > Jan 4/11 (1724)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (? after L. Morari)	Clitarco, Principe dell’Egitto, considerato di Tomori e suo amante
Ottone (revival)	> Dec 11/14/18/21/28 > Jan 1 (1724)	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym after Pallavicino)	Gismonda, Vedova di Berengario Tiranno d’Italia, madre di Adelberto
Il Vespasiano	14 January 1724 > Jan 14/18/21/25/28 > Febr 1/8/11/15	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Attilio Ariosti (N. F. Haym after Corradi)	Domiziano, figlio di Vespasiano
Giulio Cesare in Egitto	20 February 1724 > Febr 22/25/29 > March 3/7/10//14	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym after Bussani)	Sesto Pompeio, figlio di Pompeo e Cornelia
Coroliano (revival)	17 March 1724: benefit performance	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Attilio Ariosti (N. F. Haym) with additional aria by Maurice Greene	Veturia, madre di Coroliano e di Claudia
Calfurnia	18 April 1724 April 21/25/28 May 2/5/9/14/16 June 6/9	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. B. Bononcini (N. F. Haym)	Giulia, madre di Calfurnia
Aquilio Consolo	19 (21) May 1712 > May 26/30 > June 13	London, King’s Theatre, Haymarket	Attilio Ariosti (N. F. Haym)	Lincestes
Giulio Cesare in Egitto	Summer 1724	At the home of Pierre Crozat in Paris	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym)	Giulio Cesare and Sesto (or Cornelia?)3
Ottone	Summer 1724	At the home of Pierre Crozat in Paris	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym)	Ottone and Gismonda
Autumn 1724 to carneval season 1732/1733	???	??	??	??
Semiramide riconosciuta (pasticcio)	30 October 1733 > Nov 3/6/10	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Leonardo Vinci etc (Metastasio)	Semiramide, in Man’s Apparel, under ther name of Nino/Ninus, King of Assyria
Ottone (revival)	13 November 1733 > Nov 17/20/24	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (N. F. Haym)	Gismonda, Vedova di Berengario Tiranno d’Italia, madre di Adelberto
Caio Fabriccio (pasticcio)	4 December 1733 > Dec 8/15/22	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	J.A. Hasse etc (after Zeno/Coluzzi)	Bircenna, daughter of Glacias, King of Illyris, betrothed wife of Phyrrus
Arbace (pasticcio)	5 January 1734 > Jan 8/12/15/19/22 > March 26/30 28 March: benefit performance	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	Leonardo Vinci etc (Metastasio)	Artabano, Captain of the Guards, Father of Arbace and Semira
Arianna in Creta	26 January 1734 > Jan 29 > Febr 2/5/9/12/16/19/23/26 > March 2/5/9/12 > April 16/20	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (? after Pariati)	Tauride, Son of Vulcan, General of the Cretan Army
Parnasso in festa (serenata)	13 March 1734 > March 16/19/20/23	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (?)	Calliope, muse of eloquence and epic poetry
Deborah	2 April 1734 > April 6/9	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel	Israelite Woman
Sosarme (revival)	27 April 1734 > 30 April > May 4	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (? after Lalli)	Haliate, King of Lydia
Acis and Galatea	7 May 1734	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel	Dorinda (?)
Il pastor fido	18 May 1734 > May 21/25/28/ > June 4/8/11/15/18	London, King’s Theatre Haymarket	G. F. Handel (? after Rossi)	Eurilla, secretly in love with Mirtillo, and confident to Amarillis

1Please add 11 days to have today’s date according to the Gregorian calendar

2Cf. https://flore.unifi.it/retrieve/handle/2158/1020038/96605/Gaetano%20Berenstadt%20voce%20AMAtI.pdf

One aria by Costante, though, was given to Durastante – is this an indication that she sang this character or a mistake?:

https://opac.rism.info/metaopac/search?View=rism&id=806157069&fref=gc&dti=1609467332671392

3 In Donald Burrows, Helen Coffey, John Greenacombe, Anthony Hicks: George Frideric Handel, Collected Documents, Cambridge, 2015, the information is given that she sang the title role and Cornelia (previously sung by the retired Anastasia Robinson). Was the role of Sesto deleted for this staging? This needs more investigation.