At the height of his London fame, Handel created his 28th opera seria in 1731: vocal pyrotechnics about the warring rivalry between Alexander the Great and the Indian King Porus. But the King's sister, Erissena, is in love with Alexander, and Porus also feels betrayed by his lover Cleofide!

Rage and spite, love and glory inspire the extraordinary arias that Handel entrusts to two of his favourite singers: the castrato star Senesino for the title role, and the soprano Anna Maria Strada del Pò as the mistress/traitor of his heart! 

The creation of Poro was indeed a challenge for Handel: the economic fragility of the London Opera had led to the bankruptcy of his first Royal Academy of Music in 1728: but Handel had bounced back and Poro was performed twenty times in 1731, an almost exceptional figure, a sign of the success of the work and the prestige of its cast. Then, in the frantic competition that constantly demanded new works, Poro was replaced by Ezio, but revived in 1736 (proof that Handel was once again banking on its success) before a slumber of almost three centuries...

The young tenor Marco Angioloni - who sings the role of Alexander - resurrects this opera on CD and in concert with his Ensemble Il Groviglio, and a magnificent cast that would have delighted Handel!