In its 1731 revision, Handel’s Rinaldo presents a unique challenge for any director. With some of the opera’s original magical spectacle reduced or eliminated, the dramatic structure relies more heavily on character development and narrative coherence. As one of the key new productions at this year’s International Handel Festival in Karlsruhe , it carried particular significance. However, Hinrich Horstkotte’s production feels too much of an aggregate of outstanding individual set pieces that fail to integrate into a coherent vision.
The opening scene’s depiction of Jerusalem is the production’s only setting with a distinct sense of realism. Its semi-bird’s-eye perspective, reminiscent of Yadegar Asisi’s Pergamon Panorama in Berlin, presents a striking historical tableau, with the golden Dome of the Rock serving as a focal point. This visually compelling design, however, is undercut by static singers and underwhelming performances.
Jorge Navarro Colorado (Christian King Goffredo) and Lawrence Zazzo (Rinaldo) remain largely motionless, without much hint of forthcoming battles. Vocally, Navarro Colorado was stylistically sound but emotionally muted, while Zazzo struggled with Handel’s virtuosic writing. His rapid passagework often lacked clarity, with many small notes swallowed, and his frequent, sometimes awkward breath breaks became a noticeable element of his phrasing. The arrival of Francesca Ascioti (Argante) and the Muslim forces should have injected dramatic tension, setting the stage for an impending clash, yet, Ascioti’s vocal presence was equally weak, making this confrontation feel more like a polite business discussion between two parties. Argante’s costume, possibly inspired by traditional Peking opera with flags on his back, creates a comical but superficial effect. This cross-cultural approach prioritises spectacle over substance. Lacklustre singing from Zazzo, Navarro Colorado and Ascioti, combined with puzzling staging choices, perpetuated throughout.
If the male leads in this heroic fantasy opera failed to provide the necessary gravitas, the two leading (mezzo) sopranos more than made up for it. Suzanne Jerosme (Almirena) and Valeria Girardello (Armida) delivered the evening's strongest performances, grounding the production with vocal strength and acting weight much in need. Jerosme's “Lascia ch'io pianga” was certainly one for which everyone was waiting, but in “Augelletti, che cantate” she was at her most bewitching, crafting the bird-like decorations with hair-raising delicacy and natural facility, fully living up to Almirena's naivety and innocence.Visually, the enchanted garden setting was simply masterful, strongly reminiscent of one of Hieronymus Bosch’s fantastical panels housed in Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia, effectively conjuring the illusion of an imagined paradise.
Her Act 2 exit aria, “Parolette, vezzi e sguardi”, was absolutely phenomenal, sung with crystalline vivacity and sarcasm. Before the full-drop curtain, Jerosme dived into the pit, completely immersing herself in this extremely demanding coloratura passage. She demonstrated effortless virtuosity, dispatching rapid passages with precision and panache. This performance was the evening's highlight, greeted with the night's most thunderous ovation.
As Armida, Girardello was a powerhouse, dominating every scene she was in. Her entrance was one of the most memorable visual images of the production: slithering out of the golden dome of the Jerusalem set like an egg, she immediately seized the stage with her incandescent presence. Her singing was equally dramatised—her Act 2 arias were sung with heartstopping intensity and her coloratura runs sustained electrifying precision. When Armida rebukes Rinaldo, Girardello switched from rage to vulnerability seamlessly, demonstrating the richness of her character. Some parts of Armida's scenes had retro Baroque set designs with scenery in layers dropping successively one after the other in strict perspective, carrying the audience back to the atmosphere of the first productions during the 18th century. This references the operatic pageant which initially rendered Rinaldo a success in London, pulling the audience back to the era that first embraced Handel’s masterpiece.
The Deutsche Händel-Solisten, under the baton of Rinaldo Alessandrini, delivered a technically sound but somewhat uninspired performance. Whereas Alessandrini held the tempo constant, the pace of the opera, especially the recitatives, was generally sluggish. The chief issue was that the players were more focused on playing the notes on the page than adding embellishments or ornamented passages necessary to connect areas within each da capo section. This lack of expressiveness and harmonic improvisation kept the soundscape bare, depriving the production of the colourful, rich texture typically encountered in Handel's works.
While there were numerous aspects of this performance – in the orchestral playing, male singing, or stage arrangements – that were, at times, unsatisfactory, the rare opportunity to experience the 1731 version of this Baroque favourite was most welcome.
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