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A concert performance and world premiere recording of The Judgement of Paris by John Weldon with Cambridge Handel Opera Company and the Academy of Ancient Music. This follows the considerable success of John Eccles' Semele with the above groups that was nominated for the Gramophone Award in 2021.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
Early 18th century English music dramas have received little attention. This project celebrates a woefully neglected English work that won first place in the celebrated "Musick Prize" competition of 1701. With a libretto by William Congreve, The Judgement of Paris recounts the story of a beauty contest between three goddesses that led in part to the Trojan War. It is a seminal work in the Italian style attesting to the dramatic power of English music in the years following Purcell's death.
Solution
I cooperation with the Academy of Ancient Music we will create a platform for an important but neglected drama and we can share this powerful work not only with our audiences but with children and amateurs through educational initiatives, and in pre-performance discussions. Our recording, promoted in radio broadcasts, interviews short films and reviews which will be available online globally will include a comprehensive booklet with high-quality artwork and articles by distinguished writers.