Paride ed Elena (Paris and Helen) is the third of Gluck's so-called reform operas for Vienna, following Alceste (Alcestis) and Orfeo ed Euridice (Orpheus and Eurydice), and the least often performed of the three.
Alceste |
The play's character Alceste received the highest praise, and stands for the patriot citizen, while Philinte is a dangerous aristocrat in disguise.
During the next two seasons she created four more Handel roles: Alceste in Admeto and Pulcheria in Riccardo Primo (both 1727), and Emira in Siroe and Elisa in Tolomeo (1728).
Like most theatre composers of the time, Portugal set several librettos that had proven successful for earlier operas, such as Metastasio’s Demofoonte (premièred at La Scala, Milan in 1794) and Artaserse; and he set many stories that had been used before, including Serse, Alceste, Adrasto, Semiramide and Sofonisba.
He was also coach at Glyndebourne Opera, working on Fidelio, Alceste, The Rake’s Progress, Arlecchino, many Rossini and all the Mozart operas.
At Phillips Academy, Andover, he became involved in theatre, playing the role of Jerry in Edward Albee's The Zoo Story and the lead character of Alceste in Molière's The Misanthrope, directed by Kevin Heelan.