Considered Handel’s most perfect opera, _Ariodante_ includes some of the most famous arias in the baroque repertoire. Inspired by Ariosto’s _Orlando furioso_, the libretto takes us to medieval Scotland, where the love between the knight Ariodante and Ginevra is thwarted by the machinations of the sinister Polinesso. But a final twist will save the hero from despair and blindness, in an unexpected happy ending…
 
Stefan Plewniak restores eloquence and vitality to this work written with particular care by Handel. The composer had to ensure that he would be recognised by London audiences, despite competition from a new company that had taken his stars away from him. This attention to the vocal parts – with great arias of extreme difficulty – is also reflected in the orchestra, whose virtuosity dazzled listeners. Exceptional soloists at Versailles will take up the legacy of the 1735 London première, acting as visionary historians and painters of emotions, involving the musicians of the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal in a rich palette of colours full of effects and meaning.