The Musical Battle between Francesca Cuzzoni & Faustina Bordoni

Simone Kermes, soprano
Vivica Genaux, mezzosoprano

Cappella Gabetta
Andrés Gabetta, violin and direction

Carlo Francesco Pollarolo (ca. 1653-1723): Ouverture Opera "Ariodante"

Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747): "Spera che questo cor" from "Astianatte"

Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759): "Scoglio d’immota fronte" from "Scipione"

Attilio Ariosti (1666-1729): "Vorreste o mie pupille" from «Lucio Verro»

Domenico Sarro (1679-1744): "Al valor di Borea armato" from "Lucio Vero"

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783): "Priva del caro bene" from "Dalisa" "

Nicola Porpora (1686-1768): "Nobile Onda" from "Elisa"

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783): "Tu vuoi ch’io viva o cara" from "Cleofide"

Nicola Porpora (1686-1768): Ouverture from "Orfeo»

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783): "Va’ tra le selve ircane" from "Artaserse"

Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730): "L’onda chiara che dal fonte" from "Ifigenia in Tauride"

Geminiano Giacomelli (1692-1740): Villanella nube estiva" from "Scipione in Cartagine Nuova"

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783): "Impallidisce in campo" from "Issipile"

Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759): No, più soffrir non voglio" from "Alessandro"

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783): "Padre ingiusto" from "Cajo Fabricio"

Pietro Torri (1650-1737): "Son costretta esser crudele" from "Amadis"

Encore: ABBA Baroque Medley!

The prime example for an opera rivalry are the two prima donnas of the 18thcentury: Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni. They tried to avoid being on the same stage at the same time and were instantly in fierce competition.
On 4th September 1725 the Kings’ Theatre in London hired another Italian singer Faustina Bordoni next to Francesca Cuzzoni who already sang there. Francesca Cuzzoni was a leading opera singer of the time, performing roles in Georg Friedrich Handel’s and Giovanni Bononcini’s operas.
To the audience’s delight, the result of hiring Bordoni was an intense rivalry and competition between the two Italian prima donnas. It is said that Bordoni had a more touching voice and was a better actress than Cuzzoni who had a crystal clear voice.
The climax of this war of voices was reached in June 1727 during a production of Bononcini’s Asianatte. Chaos ensued in the hall. The heckling and whistling by the audience enraged both singers, who in the end even grew violent. It was a scandal that left many traces.