Radamisto

Radamisto was one of Handel’s most appreciated operas, not least for its famous aria “Ombra cara”, which stunned audiences and was sung in drawing rooms for decades thereafter. It tells a dramatic story of a royal family in old Armenia, locked in mortal conflict. Thematically, it champions faithfulness and married love, but it also has a fine gallery of moral depravity and intolerance. Certainly one for collectors, this is nonetheless a moving and accessible piece of music theatre for anyone wanting to try opera. Peter Whelan conducts, and James Conway directs a new production in Adam Wiltshire’s designs, inspired by the art of early Christian Armenia.