Ariodante

One of Handel’s most approachable operas, Ariodante (1734) tells a romantic story with warmth, humanity—and unusual simplicity. In the second of his three dramas based on Ariosto’s epic poem Orlando furioso (1516), the action is driven by jealousy: Polinesso, rejected by Ginevra, accuses her of infidelity, but after a rough ride, all ends happily, and she is reunited with her fiancée Ariodante. Much of Act I is given over to the love between Ariodante and Ginevra, only in Act II does Polinesso’s plot begin to unfold, and Handel delves into the emotions of his characters to produce some of his most insightful music. Ginevra, naïve in Act I, ends Act II with the searching aria “Il mio crudel martoro” (“My cruel torment”), balanced by Ariodante’s famous “Scherza infida”, lamenting Ginevra’s supposed betrayal of him with mournful bassoons, muted upper strings and plucked bass. Love and honour are finally restored in Ariodante’s jubilant “Dopo notte”, celebrating Ginevra’s innocence and the restoration of his own youthful confidence and optimism. Throughout the opera, Handel keeps his scoring modest, the atmosphere intimate, and his characters compelling, so if Ariodante has yet to achieve the modern success its charm deserves, then the work’s length and significant vocal challenges have their part to play.