The Opera of the Nobility’s production of Polifemo ran at the King’s Theatre from February to June 1735 in direct competition with Handel’s extraordinary double whammy of new masterpieces Ariodante and Alcina at Covent Garden. It featured three singers who had defected from Handel to form the new rival company after they had already participated in his first public performances of Acis and Galatea at the same theatre. Montagnana played Polyphemus for both Handel and Porpora. Senesino (Handel’s Acis in 1732) now took the role of the wily Ulysses, whose outwitting of the monstrous Cyclops and love affair with Calipso (sung by Bertolli) were integrated into the plot by the librettist Paolo Rolli, who expanded the Ovidian plot using ideas from Homer’s Odyssey. They had persuaded the prima donna Cuzzoni (Galatea) to return to London after a five-year absence and recruited the superstar castrato Farinelli (Acis).

This Athenian studio recording shortens two strophic songs and omits numerous passages of recitative. George Petrou paces the musical drama crisply and makes copious adjustments to Porpora’s orchestration: editorial flutes or oboes double violins in numbers that range from rustic idylls to tempestuous outbursts, ad lib timpani is added to any music featuring trumpets and horns, and the bellicose sinfonia heralding Ulisse’s arrival is transformed into a concerto grosso by reducing a few tutti passages to solo violins.

Porpora’s quasi-Handelian Overture is played with plenty of verve by Armonia Atenea. Yuriy Mynenko performs Aci’s elegant softer arias with cantabile sweetness, although there are uncomfortably pinched higher notes in ‘Lusingato dalla speme’ (which has a solo oboe part designed by Porpora for Giuseppe Sammartini) and the flamboyant ‘Nell’attendere il mio bene’. The famous ‘Alto Giove’ benefits from its proper dramatic context depicting Aci resurrected as a river god thanks to Galatea’s solemn petition to Zeus.

Max Emanuel Cencic smoulders in graceful love music and asserts gutsily in heroic showpieces; ‘Quel vasto, quel fiero’ (Ulisse’s victory over Polifemo) unleashes trumpets, horns and oboes. Sonja Runje sings with hushed rapture in Calipso’s gorgeous pastoral ‘Sorte un’umile capanna’; her liltingly serene ‘Lascia fra tanti mali’ is rescored from orchestral strings to solo flute, muted solo inner parts and a cello with theorbo – an attractive Vivaldian sound world that undermines Porpora’s reservation of the distinctive effect of flutes (and softly imperceptible horns) for Ulisse’s subsequent number ‘Fortunate pecorelle’. Some listeners may share my unease at Julia Lezhneva’s imprecise rhythms, tuning issues, uneven tone and self-consciously enormous cadenzas that far outstay their welcome (alas, a trait not unique among the cast). Galatea’s nonsensical outburst at the close of Act 1 (‘Ascoltar no, non ti voglio’) is a stormy tour de force but her anticipation of an amorous rendezvous with Aci (‘Fidati alla speranza’) is too vociferous. Love duets that bookend Act 2 are undermined by overwrought forcefulness.

Polifemo commands the limelight in the first few scenes of Act 3. His lovelorn arioso (with pairs of flutes and bassoons) moves seamlessly into an accompagnato of torment (seeing Galatea and Aci in the distance) and murderous anger (hurling a chunk of Mount Etna to crush his rival to death). Kudinov’s darkly powerful bass excels at the quick traversal from Polifemo’s gloating revenge (‘Crudel, se m’hai sprezzato’ ought to have been accompanied only by bassoons) to his roaringly drunken song (‘D’un disprezzato amor’) before he succumbs drowsily to sleep (‘Ma i piè non mi sostengono’). Narea Son contributes sparkling precision and alert shading as the nymph Nerea. Notwithstanding a few reservations, there is unquestionable commitment from all involved with this landmark recording, which confirms beyond any doubt that Porpora’s London works offer musical and dramatic riches to anyone inquisitive enough to risk producing them.