“Today, Handel’s operas are better business than they ever were in his lifetime. They’re good box-office and relatively cheap to produce. All one needs is a handful of singers and an orchestra that, with a bit of a squeeze, can be fitted into the back of a van. But don’t the devout Handel fans ever yearn for a chorus or a vocal ensemble? Wouldn’t they enjoy a bit more orchestral colour? Or even some dancing now and then?”