Orlando

Orlando (HWV 31) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Carlo Sigismondo Capece's L'Orlando after Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which was also the source of Handel's operas Alcina and Ariodante. The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 27 January 1733. There were 10 performances but it was not revived thereafter. The first modern production was at the Uni... more

Orlando (HWV 31) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Carlo Sigismondo Capece's L'Orlando after Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which was also the source of Handel's operas Alcina and Ariodante. The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 27 January 1733. There were 10 performances but it was not revived thereafter. The first modern production was at the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, on 6 May 1959. London's Royal Opera House revived their 2003 production of the opera in February/March 2007 with Bejun Mehta again in the title role. The company's magazine, About the House, described Orlando's mad scene as "one of the most remarkable pieces of writing in Handel's output." The role of Angelica was sung by Rosemary Joshua and that of Dorinda by Camilla Tilling. The conductor was Sir Charles Mackerras and the director was Francisco Negrin. The role of Orlando, originally written for Senesino, the great... less