- Orlando (opera)
-
Orlando (HWV 31) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel written for the Royal Academy of Music (1719). 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.
Contents
Performance history
The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 27 January 1733. There were 10 performances and it was not revived. The first modern production was at the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, on 6 May 1959. The United States premiere of the opera was presented by the Handel Society of New York (HSNY) in a concert version on 18 January 1971 at Carnegie Hall. Stephen Simon conducted the performance with Rosalind Elias in the title role, Camilla Williams as Angelica, Betty Allen as Medoro, Carole Bogard as Dorinda, and Justino Díaz as Zoroastro.[1] The HSNY had made the first recording of the opera in 1970 in Vienna with a mostly different cast for RCA Red Seal Records. Peter Sellars directed the first staged production of the work in the United States at the American Repertory Theater on 19 December 1981. Countertenor Jeffrey Gall sand the title role and Craig Smith conducted.[2]
London's Royal Opera House revived their 2003 production of the opera in February and 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.[citation needed]
Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 27 January 1733
(Conductor: - )Orlando, a knight alto castrato Senesino Angelica, Queen of Cathay soprano Anna Maria Strada Medoro, an African prince alto Francesca Bertolli Dorinda, a shepherdess soprano Celeste Gismondi Zoroastro, a magician bass Antonio Montagnana The role of Orlando, originally written for Senesino, the great alto castrato, is nowadays generally performed by a countertenor (e.g. James Bowman or David Daniels) or a mezzo-soprano (e.g. Patricia Bardon or Marijana Mijanovic). The role of Medoro, however, was originally written for an alto (mezzo-soprano), and this is usually retained in modern performance (e.g. Hilary Summers), though not always. The characters of Dorinda and Angelica are represented by sopranos, and Zoroastro by a bass.
Synopsis
Orlando (Roland), a great soldier in Charlemagne's army, falls desperately in love with the pagan princess Angelica, who is in turn in love with another man, Medoro. Orlando cannot accept this and he is driven to madness, prevented from causing absolute carnage only by the magician Zoroastro (who eventually restores his sanity).
Recordings
- CD: William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, with Patricia Bardon, Rosa Mannion, Hilary Summers, Rosemary Joshua, Harry van der Kamp (1996)
- CD: Christopher Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music (AAM), with James Bowman, Arleen Augér, Kirkby, Robbin, Thomas (1991)
- DVD: William Christie, production Jens-Daniel Herzog, Zurich Opera, with Marijana Mijanovic, Janková, Peetz, Wolff (2006 performances, 2008 release)
References
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (January 20, 1971). "Handel Opera of 1733 is Heard in Local Premiere". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0617FE3D5F107B93C2AB178AD85F458785F9&scp=8&sq=%22Handel+Society+of+New+York%22&st=p.
- ^ John Rockwell (December 20, 1981). "Opera: Handel's 'Orlando' At American Repertory". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/20/arts/opera-handel-s-orlando-at-american-repertory.html.
Sources
- Dean, Winton (2006). Handel's Operas, 1726-1741. Boydell Press. ISBN 1843832682 The second of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel
- Orlando (ii) by Anthony Hicks, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
Categories:- Roland
- Opera seria
- Operas by George Frideric Handel
- 1733 operas
- Operas
- Operas based on works by Ludovico Ariosto
- Italian-language operas
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