The Judgment of Paris (opera)

Setting: Mount Ida The god Mercury descends from the sky with the golden apple of Discord and asks the shepherd Paris to award it to whichever of the three goddesses – Juno, Pallas and Venus – he finds most worthy.

The London stage would soon be dominated by Italian opera and both Eccles and Daniel Purcell gave up writing theatre music.

Anthony Rooley conducted the Consorte of Musicke and Concerto Köln in performances of the three surviving scores (Finger's has been lost).

[5] Thomas Arne set The Judgement of Paris as part of a revival of interest in libretti by Congreve in the 1740s (Handel's Semele would appear in 1744).

Arne's version was first performed at Drury Lane Theatre on 12 March 1742, with the composer's wife Cecilia Young in the role of Venus.