Haendel 
Ariodante 

Dramma per musica in three acts, with a libretto by Antonio Salvi, premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, in 1735.

New Royal Opera Productions.

Show in Italian with surtitles in French and English.

Franco Fagioli . Catherine Trottmann . Théo Imart . Gwendoline Blondeel . Laurence Kilsby . Nicolas Brooymans . Antoine Ageorges

Académie de danse baroque de l'Opéra Royal
Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal
Stefan Plewniak Conductor
Nicolas Briançon assisté d’Elena Terenteva Director
Pierre-François Dollé Choreography
Antoine Fontaine Sets 
David Belugou Costumes
Jean-Pascal Pracht Lights
Albert Goldberg assisté d’Adrien Garcia Fight Choreographer
Laurence Couture Make-up and Hairstyles

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.

Royal Opera production – Château de Versailles Spectacles / Royal Opera Productions.

The shows on December 9th and 11th 2025 were filmed by Futur Antérieur Production.