Rinaldo (HWV 7) 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 Deli...(+)
Rinaldo (HWV 7) 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.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinaldo_(opera)).
Although originally scored for Alto & Cembalo I created
this Interpretation of the Aria "Sulla ruota di fortuna
và girando" from "Rinaldo" (HWV 7a Act 1 No. 4) for
Organ.