Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. A New Oratorio in English. Composed by Mr Handel. And to be perform'd by a great Number of the best Voices and Instruments. The House to be fitted up and illuminated in a new and particular manner. Tickets One Guinea. Gallery Half a Guinea. [Text by Samuel Humphreys. Their Majesties, Prince, and three eldest Princesses present.] Daily Advertiser, 20 March: An Entertainment, perhaps, the most magnificent that has ever been exhibited on an English Theatre....The Composition of the Musick is by no means inferior to the most finish'd of that Gentleman's Works; but the Disposition of the Performers was in a Taste beyond what has been attempted. There was a very great Number of Instruments by the best Hands, and such as would properly accompany three Organs. The Pit and Orchestre were cover'd as at an Assembly, and the whole House Illuminated in a new and most beautiful manner. [See also Lady A. Irwin to Lord Carlisle, in Deutsch, Handel, pp. 309-10.

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 25 Feb. contained the following verses: Hearing Mr Handel's Samson at Covent Garden. Rais'd by his subject Milton nobly flew And all Parnassus open'd to our view; By Milton fir'd Great Handel strikes our ear, And every power of harmony we hear. When two such mighty artists blend their fire Pour forth each Charm that Genius can inspire The man whose bosom does not raptures feel, Must have no soul, or all his heart be steel

Event Comment: See Daily Advertiser, 19 April, for a letter on Handel. Deutsch, Handel, pp. 481-83, reprints it but states that it appeared in the London Daily Post and General Advertiser

Event Comment: A New Oratorio. Tickets will be deliver'd to subscribers (on paying their Subscription money), this day, and every day following at Mr Handel's in Brook Street, near Hanover Square. Attendance will be given from 9 o'clock in the Morning till Three in the Afternoon. Pit and Boxes to be put together and no persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre, at Half a Guinea each, First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. N.B. Each subscriber is to pay Six Guineas upon taking out his subscription ticket, which entitles him to three Box tickets every night of Mr Handel's first six performances in Lent; and if Mr. Handel should have any more performances after his first six nights, each subscriber may continue on the same conditions. The Gallery will be open'd at Four O'Clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Six o'clock. [These notices concerning price, subscription, and time of performance recur regularly, but will not be recorded further here.

Event Comment: Today, will be reviv'd an Opera. The Musick compos'd by Mr Handel. With Dances and other Decorations entirely new. Pit and Boxes to be put together; and no Person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day at the Office in the Haymarket, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery 5s. 6 p.m. Note. The Subscribers to the Opera are desir'd to send for their Silver Tickets to the Opera-Office in the Hay-Market. [This customary notice will not be included further. According to Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, I, 102, this is the new opera Rossane, Lampugnani's first composition, at the house for which he was the new resident composer. Musicologists have not arrived at the identity of this piece, Burney and Loewenburg attributing it to Lampugnani, Schoelcher and Deutsch to Handel. See Deutsch, Handel, p. 572, where he reviews the evidence.

Event Comment: Performance After the manner of an Oratorio Set by Mr Handel. Tickets will be deliver'd to subscribers on paying their subscription money, this day and every day following at Mr Handel's House in Brook Street, near Hanover Square, where attendance will be given from nine o'clock in the Morning till three in the afternoon. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office in the theatre at Half a Guinea each, First Gallery 5s.; Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. [Customary notice which will not be repeated.] Gallery opened at Four o'clock, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Six. Mrs Delany to Mrs Dewes: There is a four-part song that is delightfully pretty...there was no disturbance at the playhouse. -Delany, Autobiography, II, 262. [Libretto by Congreve.

Event Comment: Music by Handel; libretto by James Miller. See Earl of Egmont's Diary, III, 290, where he speaks of attending on 1 March, probably a rehearsal

Event Comment: A New Oratorio. Libretto-Jennens; Music-Handel

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office at cg theatre, at half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half an hour after Four o'clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half an hour after Six. The Subscribers who favoured Mr Handel last season with their subscription, are desired to send to the office at cg on the day of the performance, where two tickets shall be deliver'd to each Gratis, in order to make good the Number of Performances subscrib'd to last season. [Recitative and chorus. Words taken from Milton and Spenser (Edition of 1746). Rehearsed at Handel's lodgings on 7 Feb. Burney and DeFesch in orchestra. (Deutsch, Handel, pp. 629-30.) Librettist not known, possibly Thomas Morell.

Event Comment: A private performance. For details, see Deutsch, Handel, pp. 285-86, Dean, Handel's Dramatic Oratorios, pp. 203-204, and Egmont, Diary, I, 225

Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Dryden. Set to Musick by Mr Handel. Pit and Boxes half a Guinea. Galleries 4s. and 2s. 6d. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 20 Feb.: Last Night his Royal Highness the Duke, and her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia were at. . . Mr Dryden's Ode, set to Musick by Mr Handel. Never was upon the like Occasion so numerous and splendid an Audience at any Theatre in London, there being at least 1300 Persons present; and it is judg'd that the Receipt of the House could not amount to less than 450l. It met with general Applause, tho attended with the Inconvenience of having the Performers placed at too great a distance from the Audience, which we hear will be rectified the next Time of Performance. [Egmont also present.]

Event Comment: Alter'd from the Italian with several new Additions. [By Dr Morell. Set by Handel. The words entirely adapted to the Music of Il Trionfo del Tempo, composed at Rome about 1707 (Biographia Dramatica).