6 Burkholder ⦁ Opera Party been made that when seeking to find a hidden ideology in a work, the assumption that there is one at all is unreasonable because although some operas could have included political opinions, does not mean that they all did.27 The only logical perspective for further investigation into the meaning behind the characters, settings, and events in British opera involves taking into account the political context, intent of the composition, and application of the public surrounding the writing and performance of it to determine the most probable explanation. Suzanne Aspden, author of “Ariadne’s Clew: Politics, Allegory, and Opera in London (1734),” wisely stated, “subsequent meanings need not be single, or even fully realized, to be present.”28 To apply the analysis of political messages in opera, the events surrounding Arianna in Nasso by Nicola Porpora and Arianna in Creta by Handel will be examined along with the opera pair itself. The evidence that the characters, setting, and circumstances within these operas align at multiple points with the state of the monarchy during this period requires an explanation; and I believe that explanation to be political. Political Status of Britain at the Time of Handel Just a few years after Handel began his career in London, King George I, the first of the Hanoverian line of kings, ascended the British throne in 1714.29 Handel had close ties to the Hanoverian crown, and the Ariadne operas mentioned above were released the same year as the marriage of Princess Anne to William IV of Orange in 1734. Figure 1 is included as a reference for the members of royalty that were affiliated with these two productions. At the same time, Parliament consisted of the Whig and Tory parties which opposed one another in state, foreign, and church policies from 1689–1715. The Tories were viewed as traitors because of their involvement in the negotiation of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which proved England disloyal to her allies by making peace with France. Because of this, the Whigs held a monopoly on power in the government for half a century, although disagreements within the party were prevalent. Thomas McGreary summarized their opposition best in his book The Politics of Handel’s Britain by stating, “Instead of party ideology, what existed was an administration party and an opposition; 27 Hume, 42. 28 Aspden, 762. 29 Langer, 469.
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