Ariodante

Ariodante is an opera seria in three acts with music by George Frideric Handel. The libretto was based on parts of Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. Handel put some ballet music in the opera for the famous dancer Marie Sallé. 

The opera was first performed in the Covent Garden Theatre, London, on 8 January 1735. It opened Handel's first season at Covent Garden. It was a great success. It was performed 11 times during its premiere season. 

It eventually was forgotten. The score was published in the early 1960s."J.A.W." (no full name given), "Reviews of Music: Collected Editions – Ariodante (edited by Karl-Josef Fürth) (January 1962). Music & Letters, 43 (1): pp. 83–84. In the 1970s, the work was revived. It is thought to be one of Handel's best operas.

 Roles 
 Ariodante, a vassal prince - mezzo-soprano castrato
 Ginevra, daughter of the King of Scotland, betrothed to Ariodante - soprano
 Dalinda, attendant on Ginevra, secretly in love with Polinesso  - soprano
 Polinesso, Duke of Albany - alto
 Lurcanio, Ariodante's brother - tenor
 King of Scotland - bass
 Odoardo, favorite of the king - tenor

 Story 
Ginevra is engaged to Ariodante. Polinesso is in love with her. He uses Dalinda to trick Ariodante. She tells Ariodante that Ginevra is Polinesso's lover. The King disowns Ginevra. Ariodante is reported to have killed himself. Polinesso then sends his agents to kill Dalinda because she was the only witness to his plot. Ariodante is alive. He drives off the assassins. Polinesso eants to win the King’s favour. He offers to defend Ginevra's honour in a tournament. He is wounded by Lurcanio. Ariodante has learned about Polinesso’s plot from Dalinda. He now appears. He offers himself as Ginevra’s champion. Polinesso confesses his guilt and dies. Ginevra is pardoned by the King.

 References 

 The second of the two-volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel.

 Other websites 
Score  of Ariodante (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1881)
San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Handel's Ariodante
Italian libretto online

Category:Compositions by George Frideric Handel
Category:1730s operas
Category:1735