Ariodante

Considered Handel's most accomplished opera, Ariodante contains some of the most iconic arias in the Baroque repertoire. Yet it was only in 2018 that William Christie and Les Arts Florissants first performed this pristine masterpiece, which they revisit here for a new, youthful production.

Inspired by Ariosto's Orlando furioso, the libretto takes us to medieval Scotland, where the love affair between Ariodante and Ginevra is thwarted by the dark scheming of Polinesso. But a final twist will save the hero from despair and blindness, in an unexpected "happy ending"...

"Limits and freedom": these are the two criteria that motivate William Christie to restore eloquence and vitality to this work written with particular care by Handel. The composer had to gain the recognition of the London public, in spite of the rivalry of a new company which had taken his star performers... This care given to the vocal parts - with great arias of extreme difficulty - was matched by that given to the orchestra, whose virtuosity dazzled the audience. In the absence of real indications on the score, as was common at the time, William Christie once again stands as a visionary historian and painter of emotions, engaging the singers and instrumentalists of Les Arts Florissants in a palette of colors rich in effect and meaning. The audience of 2018 will remember the compelling beauty of this work; those of 2023 will discover an even more vibrant masterpiece.

For this new production, William Christie reunites with one of his young protégés, the mezzo-soprano Lea Desandren now a star in her own right. Though she has often interpreted the greatest arias of Ariodante in concert, this is the first time she will sing the complete opera in a version directed by Nicolas Briançon. She will be joined by soprano Ana Maria Labin as Ginevra, along with a cast of young singers who have graduated from the Jardin des Voix - the now famous international academy of Les Arts Florissants.