Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 11 Ariodante

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O March 2 - 17, 2019 | 31 Ariodante After the Curtain Falls Your opera experience doesn’t have to end here! When the performance is over, you can continue your exploration of Ariodante in conversation with your companions. Here are some topics to consider : • Musically, how do you respond to the scale of the piece? Do you relate more easily to it, or do you connect more with opera on the grand scale of, say, Verdi’s Aida ? • This is an opera that is predominantly arias. Which of the many musically and dramatically different arias for Ariodante did you enjoy the most, and why? • Vocal display is hugely important in this music. Which character’s showpieces did you find most exciting? • Have you ever experienced the kind of betrayal that Ginevra is subjected to? If so, how did you cope with it? • How did you respond to the villain, Polinesso? Did you see any humanity in him? • Puppets are a vital element of the production. What did you find most interesting in how they were used? • The opera originally took place in the medieval period in Scotland, but this production updates sets it in the 1970s. What did you find most intriguing about the updating? To continue enjoying Ariodante, Lyric dramaturg and program editor Roger Pines suggests the following performances: CD Joyce DiDonato, Karina Gauvin, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Topi Lehtipuu; Il Complesso Barocco, cond. Alan Curtis (Erato) Anne Sofie von Otter, Lynne Dawson, Ewa Podleś, Denis Sedov; Les Musiciens du Louvre, cond. Marc Minkowski (Archiv) Janet Baker, Edith Mathis, James Bowman, David Rendall; English Chamber Orchestra, cond. Raymond Leppard (Philips) Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Juliana Gondek, Jennifer Lane, Rufus Müller; Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, cond. Nicholas McGegan (Harmonia Mundi) Ann Murray, Joan Rodgers, Christopher Robson, Paul Nilon; Bavarian Radio Orchestra, cond. Ivor Bolton (Farao) Other Handel recordings of interest: “Handel Arias”: Alice Coote, English Concert, cond. Harry Bicket (Hyperion) Alcina : Renée Fleming, Natalie Dessay, Susan Graham; Les Arts Florissants, cond. William Christie (Erato) Orlando : Bejun Mehta, Sophie Karthäuser, Kristina Hammarström; B’rock Orchestra, cond. René Jacobs (Archiv) DVD (IN ENGLISH) Ann Murray, Joan Rodgers, Christopher Robson, Paul Nilon; English National Opera Orchestra, cond. Ivor Bolton, dir. David Alden (Arthaus Musik) Other Handel recordings of interest: Giulio Cesare : Sarah Connolly, Danielle de Niese, Patricia Bardon; Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, cond. William Christie, dir. Sir David McVicar (Opus Arte) Rodelinda : Renée Fleming, Andreas Scholl, Stephanie Blythe; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, cond. Harry Bicket, dir. Stephen Wadsworth (Decca) IN ENGLISH: Xerxes , sung in English: Ann Murray, Valerie Masterson, Lesley Garrett; English National Opera Orchestra, cond. Sir Charles Mackerras, dir. Sir Nicholas Hytner (Arthaus Musik) Marie Sallé, one of the greatest dancers of the 18th century, was crucial to the success of several Handel premieres in London, including Ariodante.