Margherita Durastanti

News of her imminent arrival evinced the following unflattering comment from the librettist Rolli: It is said for certain that Durastanti will be coming for the operas.

Though engaged as the first prima donna in the new company, she in effect began as primo uomo ("first man"), creating the name-part in Radamisto in April 1720.

In 1721 she gave birth to a girl, and King George I and the Princess Royal were among the child's godparents; in the autumn of that year she sang in Germany, and then in Italy during the spring of 1722.

Handel brought Durastanti back to England for his 1733–34 season, when she sang in revivals of Ottone and Il pastor fido, as well as several pasticcios.

Although there is little surviving contemporary opinion of Durastanti's singing, Charles Burney wrote insightfully, though at second hand, of her performance in the first revival of Handel's Floridante in 1722:When this opera was afterwards revived, and the Durastanti performed Mrs Robinson's part, additional airs were composed to display her peculiar powers; and we find by these, that her abilities as a singer and musician were greatly superior to those of her predecessor, though perhaps less amiable and captivating to an audience, or at least to the spectators.