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Besides, Buononcini was a stranger and a novelty; Handel was becoming an established institution indeed, he was well on the way to becoming an English composer. The same singers, with the addition of Anastasia Robinson, appeared in the season of 1721-22.
The most active of these was Buononcini, himself a composer of no mean ability, though eclipsed by the genius of Handel. Buononcini's machinations were so far successful though he himself was compelled to leave England in disgrace for different reasons that in 1741, after the production of his 'Deidamia, Handel succumbed to bankruptcy and a severe attack of paralysis.
But it is known that Ariosti did not arrive in Berlin until the spring of 1697, and Buononcini not until 1702. If, on the other hand, Mainwaring is right in saying that young Handel went to Berlin with a view to obtaining a musical post there, it is hardly likely that he should have made the journey at ten years of age, and while his father was still living.
Gordon found fault with Handel's method of accompanying, and threatened to jump on the harpsichord. "Oh," replied Handel, "let me know when you will do that, and I will advertise it; for I am sure more people will come to see you jump than to hear you sing." Two more operas by Buononcini were given, but his relations with the Academy were not very cordial.
A curious experiment was tried in Muzio Scevola, of which the first act was composed by Filippo Mattei, the second by Buononcini and the third by Handel, each act having an overture and concluding chorus.
Perhaps he had had enough of Handel after three years of his close company in Burlington House; in any case he probably thought himself a better judge of music than Handel. He secured Buononcini for the Academy, and the season opened on November 19 with Astarto.
Pendarves informed her sister that the young Duchess had settled L500 a year for life on Buononcini, "provided he will not compose any more for the ungrateful Academy, who do not deserve he should entertain them, since they don't know how to value his works as they ought." The contract, however, seems not to have been carried out by the composer. Mrs.
Buononcini having lost their favour, they engaged as composer the Neapolitan Nicolo Porpora, famous then as a great trainer of singers, and still more famous in later years as the teacher of Haydn.
The next episode in George Frederic's career has considerably puzzled his biographers. Mainwaring asserts that in 1698 he went to Berlin, where he was presented to the Electress Sophia Charlotte and made the acquaintance of Ariosti and Giovanni Battista Buononcini, two famous Italian opera composers whom he was to encounter again, in London, many years later.
Thomas Clayton's music to 'Rosamond' was described as 'a jargon of sounds. 'Camilla', composed by Marco Antonio Buononcini, and said to contain beautiful music, was produced at Sir John Vanbrugh's Haymarket opera in 1705, and sung half in English, half in Italian; Mrs. Addison's regard for the play is warmed by friendship for the unhappy writer.
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