Research and Talks
Handel – friends, foes and flattery
Tatty Theo explores the colourful music scene in London from 1710-1759, with an illustrated talk touching on Royal patronage, political intrigue, and the lives of some the musical characters who were part of Handel’s London world.
Friends, foes and flattery abound, making for a rich tale to be told!
Zimmerman’s Kaffeehaus
Coffeehouse culture is rapidly becoming as popular now as it was in the eighteenth century. Tatty Theo explores the history of music in European coffeehouses, focusing on London and Leipzig, Handel and Bach’s respective cities.
Listen to Tatty’s interview from In Tune on BBC Radio 3 about 18th century coffeehouse culture:
Margherita Durastanti – Handel’s Italian Muse
Margherita Durastanti enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with Handel, their musical lives together spanning over 30 years. In fact, of all the sopranos that Handel worked with, his connection with Durastanti endured for the longest time. Tatty Theo sheds new light on this singer, about whom surprisingly little is known.
Handel in Italy
This talk explores the huge impact Handel’s time in Italy (1706–1710) had on his life, shaping him as a man, musician and truly great composer. Musical colleagues, rivals, employers and patrons all played a vital part in determining the direction of Handel’s musical career.