Royal Academy of Music (company) directors of the Royal Academy of Music, imploring them: The performances of "Alessandro" went off with no signs of animosity between Bordoni and Cuzzoni or their respective supporters, but it was not very long after that tension between the two erupted. As 18th century musicologist Charles Burney observed about the Cuzzoni / Faustina rivalry: Handel's next opera."Admeto", again with roles for both sopranos, was well-received and had nineteen performances in its initial run, a mark of success for those times. Many audience members were extremely enthusiastic about the singers. At the conclusion of one of Cuzzoni's arias at a performance
The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera) was to become his masterpiece in the German language. The composer himself made some changes to the libretto. It was difficult at first to find a stage that was willing to mount the opera, but following the premiere at the Königliches Opernhaus (Royal Opera House, now Berlin State Opera) in Berlin on 9 March 1849 under the baton of the composer, it achieved great success and its popularity continues to this day. Though the libretto and the dramaturgy may seem old-fashioned to today's audiences, the music is of such high quality that the work is nevertheless performed with increasing regularity.