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Overview

Synopsis

Ariodante and his beloved Ginevra are set to get married tomorrow. Her father, the King of Scotland, has welcomed Ariodante into the family as his own son, and everything looks promising for the future. But, the Duke Polinesso cannot bear to lose Ginevra to another man, and is hurt by her cruel and constant rejection of him. When he finds out that Ginevra’s handmaid, Dalinda is in love with him, Polinesso seizes the opportunity to manipulate her, and devises a plot to get exactly what he wants.

Polinesso tells Dalinda to disguise herself as Ginevra and arranges for the two of them to meet in the night. Just as Ariodante is taking a walk in the garden Polinesso approaches Ginevra’s door. Ariodante watches his beloved Ginevra permit another man to enter her apartment in the night, and his heart is broken by the betrayal. He runs to the cliffs and throws himself into the sea in despair.

When the news of Ariodante’s death reaches the King, and a witness comes forward who claims that Ginevra caused it, the King is forced to sign his own daughter’s death warrant. Polinesso’s plan now comes into fruition, and he steps forward to defend Ginevra’s innocence in a tournament.

During the tournament, Polinesso takes a mortal wound. The challenge is opened to anyone else willing to defend Ginevra’s innocence, and an unknown man steps forward. The man reveals himself as Ariodante; incredibly he survived the fall, and is here to prove Ginevra’s innocence.

Handel’s Ariodante is a beautiful story of love triumphing over evil, which showcases some of his most well-known arias, including Ariodante’s ‘Scherza infida’ and ‘Dopo notte, atra e funesta’.

Show Information

Music
George Frederic Handel
Libretto
Antonio Salvi
Based on the Play/Book/Film
Orlando Furioso by Ariosto
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1735
Genres
Romance, Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Historical/Biographical, Drama
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Scotland, Medieval
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Ariodante

Lead

Either Gender

Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor

Ginevra

Lead

Female

Soprano

Polinesso

Lead

Either Gender

Countertenor, Contralto

Dalinda

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Lurcanio

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Il Re di Scozia

Supporting

Male

Bass

Odoardo

Featured

Male

Tenor

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, Contralto

Songs

Overture

Gavotte

Act One

Scene 1

  • No. 1 Aria ‘Vezzi, lusinghe’ - Ginevra
  • Recitative ‘Ami dunque, o Signora?’ - Dalinda, Ginevra

Scene 2

Scene 3

  • Recitative ‘Orgogliosa beltade!’ - Polinesso, Dalinda
  • No. 3 Aria ‘Apri la luci’ - Dalinda

Scene 4

  • Recitative ‘Mie speranze, che fate?’ - Polinesso
  • No. 4 Aria ‘Coperta la frode’ - Polinesso

Scene 5

  • No. 5 Aria ‘Qui d’amor nel suo linguaggio’ - Ariodante
  • Recitative ‘T’amero dunque sempre’ - Ariodante, Ginevra
  • No. 6 Duet ‘Prendi da questa mano’ - Ginevra, Ariodante

Scene 6

  • Recitative ‘Non vi turbate’ - Il Re, Ginevra, Ariodante
  • No. 7 Aria ‘Volate, amori’ - Ginevra

Scene 7

  • Recitative ‘Vanne pronto, Odoardo’ - Il Re, Odoardo
  • No. 8 ‘Voli colla sua tromba’ - Il Re

Scene 8

  • Recitative ‘Oh! Felice mio core!’ - Ariodante
  • No. 9 Aria ‘Con l’ali di costanza’ - Ariodante

Scene 9

  • Recitative ‘Conosco il merto tuo’ - Polinesso, Dalinda
  • No. 10 Aria ‘Spero per voi, si, si’ - Polinesso

Scene 10

  • Recitative ‘Dalinda, in Occidente già’ - Lurcanio, Dalinda
  • No. 11 Aria ‘Del mio sol vessozi rai’ - Lurcanio

Scene 11

  • Recitative ‘Ah! che quest’alma amante’ - Dalinda
  • No. 12 Aria ‘Il primo ardor’ - Dalinda

Scene 12

  • Recitative ‘E qual propizia stella’ - Ginevra, Ariodante
  • No. 13 Sinfonia
  • No. 14 Duet and Chorus ‘Se rinasce nel mio cor’ - Ginevra, Ariodante, Chorus
  • No. 15 Ballet
  • No. 16 Musette I
  • No. 17-18 Musette II
  • No. 19 Chorus and Solos ‘Si, godete al vostro amor’ - Chorus, Ginevra, Ariodante

Act Two

Scene 1

  • No. 20 Sinfonia
  • Recitative ‘Di Dalinda l’amore’ - Polinesso

Scene 2

  • Recitative ‘Eccolo; o amico’ - Polinesso, Ariodante, Lurcanio
  • No. 21 Aria ‘Tu, preparati a morire’ - Ariodante
  • Recitative ‘Ginevra? O mio Signore!’ - Polinesso, Dalinda, Lurcanio, Ariodante
  • No. 22 Aria ‘Tu vivi’ - Lurcanio

Scene 3

Scene 4

  • Recitative ‘Lo stral feri nel segno’ - Polinesso, Dalinda
  • No. 24 Aria ‘Se tanto piace al cor’ - Dalinda

Scene 5

Scene 6

  • Recitative ‘Andiam, fidi, al consiglio’ - Re, Odoardo
  • No. 26 Aria ‘Piu contento e più felice’ - Il Re
  • (No. 26a alternative Aria ‘Invida sorte avara’ - Il Re)

Scene 7

  • No. 27 Aria ‘Mi palpita il core’ - Ginevra
  • Recitative ‘Sta lieta, o Principessa’ - Dalinda, Il Re Ginevra

Scene 8

  • Recitative ‘Mio re’ - Lurcanio, Il Re
  • No. 28 Aria ‘Il tuo sangue’ - Lurcanio

Scene 9

  • Recitative ‘Quante sventure’ - Odoardo, Dalinda, Ginevra, Il Re
  • No. 29 Accompagnato ‘A me impudica?’ - Ginevra, Dalinda
  • No. 30 Aria ‘Il mio crudel martoro’ - Ginevra
  • No. 31 Entree de’ Mori
  • No. 32 Rondeau

Act Three

Scene 1

  • No. 33 Aria ‘Numi! Lasciarmi vivere’ - Ariodante
  • Recitative ‘Perfidi! Io son tradita!’ - Dalinda, Ariodante
  • No. 34 Aria ‘Cieca notte’ - Ariodante

Scene 2

  • Recitative ‘Ingrato Polinesso!’ - Dalinda
  • No. 35 Aria ‘Neghittosi, or voi che fate?’ - Dalinda

Scene 3

  • Recitative ‘Sire, deh, non negare’ - Odoardo, Il Re, Polinesso
  • No. 36 Aria ‘Dover, giustizia, amor’ - Polinesso

Scene 4

  • Recitative ‘Or venga a me la figlia’ - Il Re

Scene 5

  • Recitative ‘Ecco la figlia’ - Il Re, Ginevra
  • No. 37 Aria ‘Io ti bacio’ - Ginevra
  • Reci ‘Figlia; da dubbia sorte’ - Il Re, Ginevra
  • No. 38 Aria ‘Al sen ti stringo’ - Il Re

Scene 6

  • Recitative ‘Cosi mi lascia il padra?’ - Ginevra
  • No. 39 Aria ‘Si, morro’ - Ginevra
  • No. 40 Sinfonia

Scene 7

  • Recitative ‘Arrida il cielo’ - Lurcanio, Polinesso, Odoardo, Il Re

Scene 8

  • Recitative ‘Ferma, Signor’ - Ariodante, Il Re, Lurcanio

Scene 9

Scene 10

  • Recitative ‘Dalinda, ecco risorge’ - Lurcanio, Dalinda
  • No. 42 Duet ‘Dite spera, e son contento’ - Lurcanio, Dalinda

Scene 11

  • Recitative ‘Da dubbia infausta sorte’ - Ginevra
  • No. 43 Arioso and Sinfonia ‘Manca, oh Dei!’ - Ginevra

Scene 12

  • Sinfonia
  • Recitative ‘Figlia, innocente figlia’ - Il Re, Ariodante, Dalinda, Lurcanio, Ginevra
  • No. 44 Duet ‘Bramo aver mille vite’ - Ariodante, Ginevra

Final Scene

  • No. 45 Chorus ‘Ognuno acclami’ - Chorus
  • No. 46 Gavotte
  • No. 47-48 Rondeau
  • No. 49 Chorus ‘Sa trionfar ognor’ - Chorus

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.