Alcina, Opera by G. F. Handel
The magnificent Teatro dell’Opera di Roma hosts a production of Alcina, George Friedrich Handel's complex and absorbing opera. The librettist for Alcina is unknown but it is often attributed to Antonio Fanzaglia. In fact, Handel's version was adapted from an earlier production called L’isola di Alcina, an opera by the Italian baroque composer, Riccardo Broschi which Fanzaglia may have contributed to. The premiere of Alcina was on 16 April 1735 at the Theatre Royal in London's Covent Garden.
Alcina is the central character in the opera that bears her name. The action unfolds on a magical island which she governs. Alcina is a complex character, an enchantress who seduces men who get stray onto her island. In the opera, a knight named Ruggiero has been entranced by Alcina but his betrothed, Bradamante, and her guardian attempt to save him by travelling to her island. In disguise as a man, Bradamante attempts to use a magical ring to break Alcina's spell but the enchantress's sister, Morgana, has other plans. She is smitten with Bradamante, taking her to be a man called Ricciardo. Morgana causes mayhem by abandoning her lover in favour of Ricciardo at which point Ruggiero is exposed to the truth of his situation when the ring is slipped onto his finger. As the story unfolds, audiences are left to ponder whether the couple will escape and if Alcina has, at last, met her match with a man she genuinely cares for.
Handel's score for Alcina is very much of its time with orchestration that features many baroque-era instruments. Its music creates an other-worldliness that is in keeping with the magical nature of the plot. During the arias, little action occurs in terms of story development. These are reserved to allow the characters to express their emotions at any given point. Other sections of the score are recitative, allowing the performers to express each line with a degree of freedom. Handel also scored some sections of Alcina for dance. Some arias, such as 'Tornami a vagheggiar', for example, offer room for improvisation, typically when the music returns to its original melody accompaniment in its final 'da capo' section.
With a top-notch orchestra and choir along with a superb auditorium, as the Teatro Costanzi undoubtedly is, this staging of Alcina at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma will delight fans of Handel, in particular devotees of his operatic compositions.