Opera

Georg Friedrich Händel

Ariodante

02 Jun, 26

Concert version

Musical conductor
Andrea Marcon

Orchestra
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel

One of the treasures of the opera repertoire, and also one of Handel's most delicate works, returns to the Teatro Real with La Cetra Barockorchester. Inspired by the epic poem Orlando Furioso, by Ludovico Ariosto, its score includes some of the most difficult da capo arias of the German composer’s to perform.

Opera seria in three acts

Music by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

Libretto anonymously, adapted from Antonio Salvi’s libretto Ginevra, principessa di Scozia (1708), after Ludovico Ariosto’s poem Orlando furioso, Cantos IV and VI (1532)

Premiered at Covent Garden Theatre (London) on 8 January 1735

Premiered at Teatro Real on 29 March 2007

Concert version

Artistic team

Conductor: Andrea Marcon

Cast

Ariodante: Magdalena Kozena

Ginevra: Erika Baikoff

Dalinda: Shira Patchornik

Polinesso: Christophe Dumaux

Lurcanio: Emiliano González Toro

King of Scotland: José Antonio López

La Cetra Barockorchestre Basel

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Synopsis and more information

Ginevra, the daughter of the King of Scotland, is courted by Polinesso, but she is in love with Ariodante and has become engaged to him. Polinesso, seeking revenge on Ariodante, takes advantage of the unrequited love felt him by Dalinda, Ginevra's maid, convincing her to dress in Ginevra's clothes and let him into the royal quarters. Ariodante goes to his rendezvous with Ginevra that night and is so devastated by what he sees that he throws himself off a cliff into the sea. Ariodante's brother, Lurcanio, has secretly witnessed the scene and tells everything to the king, who condemns his daughter to death for faithlessness. But Ariodante has not died and he meets Dalinda in the forest. Disillusioned with Polinesso, she decides to tell him about the deception he has plotted. To defend Ariodante's honour, Lurcanio challenges Polinesso to a duel and kills him. Ariodante appears to save Ginevra from death and clarify everything before the king.