Ariodante

"For the opera by Étienne Méhul, see Ariodant."

"Ariodante" (HWV 33) is an opera seria in three acts by Handel. The anonymous Italian libretto was based on a work by Antonio Salvi, which in turn was adapted from Canti 5 and 6 of Ludovico Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso". Each act contains opportunities for dance, originally composed for dancer Marie Sallé and her company.

The opera was first performed in the Covent Garden Theatre, London, on 8 January 1735. "Ariodante" opened Handel's first season at Covent Garden and successfully competed against the rival Opera of the Nobility, supported by the Prince of Wales. Handel had the tacit and financial support of the King and Queen and, more vocally, of the Princess Royal. The opera received 11 performances during its premiere season at Covent Garden.cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/3/3/191 | last=Baxter | first=Robert | title="Ariodante" | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=3 | issue=3 | pages=191–192 | date=1985 | accessdate=2007-09-29 | doi=10.1093/oq/3.3.191]

Like Handel's other works in the "opera seria" genre, "Ariodante", despite its initial success, fell into oblivion for more than two hundred years. An edition of the score was published in the early 1960s, from the Hallische Händel Ausgabe. ["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 began to be revived, and has come to be considered one of Handel's finest operas.

Charles Cudworth has discussed the influence of French dance music in the opera. [Cudworth, Charles, "Handel and the French Style" (April 1959). "Music & Letters", 40 (2): pp. 122-131.] Winton Dean has noted that Act II of the opera, in its original version, is the only act in a Handel opera which ends with accompanied recitative.Dean, Winton, "Record Reviews: Ariodante" (January 1981). "The Musical Times", 122 (1655): pp. 33-34.]

Roles

ynopsis

Ginevra, daughter of the King of Scotland, is betrothed to Ariodante. Polinesso, a jealous rival of Ariodante, wins the confidence of Ginevra's friend Dalinda. With Dalinda's unwitting help, Polinesso tricks Ariodante into thinking that Ginevra is his lover.

The King, hearing of Ginevra’s alleged infidelity, disowns her, while Ariodante is reported dead by suicide. Polinesso then sends his agents to kill Dalinda, as the only witness to his plot. But Ariodante, having met Dalinda while wandering in the woods, drives off the would-be assassins.

Polinesso, seeking to win the King’s favour, now offers to defend the honour of Ginevra in a tournament. In the combat, he is mortally wounded by Ariodante’s vengeful brother Lurcanio. Ariodante, having learned about Polinesso’s plot from Dalinda, now appears and offers himself as Ginevra’s champion. The dying Polinesso confesses his guilt and Ginevra is pardoned by the King.

elected recordings

* Philips 6769 025: Janet Baker, Edith Mathis, Norma Burrowes, Samuel Ramey, David Rendall, James Bowman, Alexander Oliver; London Voices; English Chamber Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, conductor [Chisholm, Duncan, Review of Recordings of "Ariodante" and "Serse" (January 1982). "Early Music", 10: (1): pp. 101, 103, 105.]
* Harmonia Mundi HMU 907146.48: Lorraine Hunt, Juliana Gondex, Lisa Saffer, Jennifer Lane, Rufus Müller, Nicolas Cavallier, Jörn Lindemann; Wilhelmshaven Vocal Ensemble; Freiburg Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, conductor [cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/13/2/141 | last=Pines | first=Roger | title="Ariodante". George Frideric Handel | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=13 | issue=2 | pages=141–143 | date=1996 | accessdate=2007-09-29]
* Deutsche Grammophon 457 271-2: Anne Sofie von Otter, Lynne Dawson, Veronica Cangemi, Ewa Podles, Richard Croft, Denis Sedov, Luc Coadou; Chorus of Les Musiciens du Louvre; Les Musiciens du Louvre; Marc Minkowski, conductor

E-book

[http://mdz1.bib-bvb.de/~db/0001/bsb00016930/images/ Score] of "Ariodante" (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1881)

Notes

References

*citation|first=Winton|last=Dean|title=Handel's Operas, 1726-1741|publisher=Boydell Press|year=2006
id=ISBN 1843832682 The second of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel