Crystallised through the stark imagery of French Surrealism — a stylish way of capturing the zaniness of Handel — ENO’s new staging of Partenope is packed with riches. It is also full of flaws. The pleasures come chiefly in the music and the excellent cast of six led by John Mark Ainsley. The problems lie in Christopher Alden’s production, an odd mix of the overdone and the raw.

Christian Curmyn, making his ENO debut, has recorded this little-known Handel comedy. His approach is brisk, supple and agreeably soft contoured, rather than edgy or manic. The ENO orchestra plays with vigour and zest, with period colour provided by buoyant harpsichords, theorbo and cello continuo.

As on the CD, Rosemary Joshua sings the title role of Queen of Naples. After an absence from the stage owing to illness, she is back on tremendous form — elegant, feline and growing in assurance as the evening progressed. In Andrew Lieberman’s designs, 1920s Paris is the touchstone. The opening scene is visually arresting, a white salon with a sweeping staircase providing a vertiginous platform for much of the action. Partenope, got up as Nancy Cunard or Coco Chanel, and her various gender-bending suitors, play cards and drink cocktails. John Mark Ainsley (Emilio), inexplicably, is a Man Ray lookalike wearing a suit and a variety of weird headgear. Never mind. He sings persuasively. Countertenor Iestyn Davies (Armindo) tumbles downstairs with the deadpan solemnity of Buster Keaton and sings like an angel who smokes five a day — pure-toned with hint of roughness. He’s a find.

Amanda Holden’s racy new rhyming translation freely employs contemporary colloquialisms, which may annoy purists but provokes laughter and is easily audible.

As ever with Handel, his genius is to clothe sober insights into the human psyche in the gorgeous silk chiffons of wit and satire. Director Christopher Alden, instead, starts promisingly but yields to lumpen vulgarity. A lavatory, so passé on the operatic stage these days, occupies centre stage and flushes mid-aria.
Christine Rice and Patricia Bardon, both outstanding as doubly cross-dressed lovers, have to endure an Andrex dog moment — yards of loo roll — which amused some.

Don’t be deterred. Handel’s music, a glory of magnificent arias and nimble ensembles, shines through.

Until 12 November. Information: 0871 9110 200, www.eno.org.