About the work
„Venceslao“ is a pasticcio Handel compiled in January 1731, mainly from arias by Leonardo Vinci along with Johann Adolf Hasse, Antonio Lotti and other composers, set to Apostolo Zeno's 1703 libretto and cut from five acts to three; Handel himself seems to have written only the recitatives. It premiered on 12 January 1731 at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, London.
Plot
King Venceslao of Poland has two sons: the passionate Casimiro and the gentle Alessandro. Both love Princess Erenice. A misunderstanding leads to a murder charge, betrayal and bigamy – yet in the end the guilty Casimiro still wins the crown and the bride, while Alessandro is left with nothing.
Cultural significance
With only four performances by 23 January 1731, „Venceslao“ was one of Handel's least successful pasticci; a contemporary observer judged that it had failed to catch on. In 2019 the ensemble Opera Settecento, under Leo Duarte, revived the work in a concert performance in London.