Which factors contributed to Handel's financial troubles in London?

• A. Opera of the Nobility rivals and castrati Farinelli and Bononcini
• B. The rise of English oratorios displaced opera
• C. His move to England improved finances
• D. The decline of instrumental music in London

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that market competition in London’s opera scene hit Handel financially. A rival aristocratic company, the Opera of the Nobility, attracted audiences by staging lavish productions and paying high salaries to top performers. They lured talent and subscribers away from Handel, with star figures like the famed castrato Farinelli and the leading composer Giovanni Bononcini helping to make the rival venture especially attractive. The result was increased costs and reduced revenue for Handel’s company, which strained his finances. While later shifts toward English oratorios changed the broader market, the immediate financial trouble came from this fierce aristocratic rivalry and its star-driven productions, not from a general decline in music or a simple improvement in finances from Handel’s move to England.