It is a work charged with jealousy and intrigue, with struggles and betrayal: Ariodante, Handel’s first work for the then brand new Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. At that time, the composer was faced with fierce competition, was financially stricken and on the rocks. However, he plucked up his courage while taking the waters and wrote the opera, basing it on Ariosto’s epic poem Orlando furioso. And he composed varied, colourful music, including the intimate aria “Scherza infida”, which is considered one of the special highlights of Handel’s oeuvre to this day.

Cast

Sarah Connolly

Ariodante

Christophe Dumaux

Polinesso

Chen Reiss

Ginevra

Hila Fahima

Dalinda

Rainer Trost

Lurcanio

Wilhelm Schwinghammer

Il Re di Scorzia