Language: Italian
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish

Rinaldo is an opera by George Frideric Handel, composed in 1711, and was the first Italian language opera written specifically for the London stage. The libretto was prepared by Giacomo Rossi from a scenario provided by Aaron Hill, and the work was first performed at the Queen's Theatre in London's Haymarket on 24 February 1711. The story of love, war and redemption, set at the time of the First Crusade, is loosely based on Torquato Tasso's epic poem Gerusalemme liberata ("Jerusalem Delivered"), and its staging involved many original and vivid effects. It was a great success with the public, despite negative reactions from literary critics hostile to the contemporary trend towards Italian entertainment in English theatres.

Handel composed Rinaldo quickly, borrowing and adapting music from operas and other works that he had composed during a long stay in Italy in the years 1706–10, during which he established a considerable reputation. In the years following the premiere, he made numerous amendments to the score. Rinaldo is regarded by critics as one of Handel's greatest operas. Of its individual numbers, the soprano aria "Lascia ch'io pianga" has become a particular favourite, and is a popular concert piece.

Handel went on to dominate opera in England for several decades. Rinaldo was revived in London regularly up to 1717, and in a revised version in 1731; of all Handel's operas, Rinaldo was the most frequently performed during his lifetime. After 1731, however, the opera was not staged for more than 200 years. Renewed interest in baroque opera during the 20th century led to the first modern professional production in Handel's birthplace, Halle, Germany, in 1954. The opera was mounted sporadically over the following thirty years; after a successful run at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1984, performances and recordings of the work have become more frequent worldwide. Rinaldo was the first Handel opera to have found its way to the Metropolitan. The opera's tercentenary in 2011 brought a modernized production at the Glyndebourne Festival.

Rinaldo is a tricky opera to stage. There is the question of how to conceive the special effects. The libretto makes as many demands on the imagination of a scenic designer as Das Rheingold – calling for seashore and mountaintop; garden and desert; fountains and aviaries; a boat on the sea; pitched battles between two armies; on-stage transformations; and hordes of bizarre creatures – dragons, mermaids, monsters, furies.

The story introduces General Goffredo and the mighty knight Rinaldo, who are at war with Argante, the blustering king of Jerusalem, and his mistress, the wicked enchantress Armida. Goffredo promises that his daughter Almirena will marry Rinaldo once they achieve victory. But when Armida kidnaps Almirena, our heroes embark on a quest to find a magician who will help them rescue Almirena and defeat Armida and her minions.

When Armida’s formidable magic lures Rinaldo into her clutches, she becomes so enamoured of the handsome knight that she tries to seduce him by transforming herself into Almirena. Meanwhile, Argante is overcome with pity and love for the captive, grieving Almirena. Eventually, with the power of magic, everything sorts itself out. Goffredo and Rinaldo defeat their enemies, and the lovers are reunited.

Direction: Claire Dancoisne (Director), Bertrand Cuiller (Music Conductor)
Cast: Orchestra Le Caravansérail, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Dijan (Rinaldo), Lucile Richardot (Goffredo), Emmanuelle De Negri (Almirena), Aurore Bucher (Armida), Thomas Dolié (Argante)