Rinaldo
Watch Handel's Rinaldo online for free from Sunday 21 June
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Description
Christian knight Rinaldo loves Almirena, but she has been kidnapped by the scheming sorceress Armida. A magical battle of wits and wills ensues between Rinaldo’s Crusaders and the Saracen army, as the fate not just of two lovers but two nations hangs in the balance.
Carsen’s exuberant schoolroom staging is well on its way to becoming a Glyndebourne classic, bringing out all the energy and excess in the young Handel’s first opera for the London stage. The composer’s colourful, tune-filled score – bright with brass fanfares and memorable arias including ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ – is one of his finest, sweeping the audience from laughter to love and back again, in this exotic, East-meets-West musical fantasy.
Baroque specialist Ottavio Dantone conducts Robert Carsen’s production, with fearless contralto Sonia Prina in the title role. She does battle with Brenda Rae’s explosive Armida and Luca Pisaroni as Argante.
Rinaldo was captured live at Festival 2011. It is available on DVD from our shop.
This production contains adult themes.
Preview videos
Creative team
Conductor
Ottavio Dantone
Director
Robert Carsen
Designer
Gideon Davey
Lighting Designer
Robert Carsen
Peter van Praet
Movement Director
Philippe Giraudeau
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Chorus Master Jeremy Bines
Cast
Rinaldo
Sonia Prina
Goffredo
Varduhi Abrahamyan
Eustazio
Tim Mead
Almirena
Anett Fritsch
Armida
Brenda Rae
Argante
Luca Pisaroni
A Christian Magician
William Towers
A Woman
Rhian Lewis
Siren 1
Charlotte Beaumont
Siren 2
Rebecca van den Berg
A Herald
Oliver Mercer
Photos: Bill Cooper