''Orlando'' ( RV 728), usually known in modern times as ' (), is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to an Italian libretto by Grazio Braccioli, based on Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem '' Orlando Furioso'' (''The Frenzy of Orlando''). The first performance of the opera was at the

Teatro San Angelo The Teatro San Angelo (in Venetian dialect) or Teatro Sant' Angelo (in Italian) was once a theatre in Venice which ran from 1677 until 1803. It was the last of the major Venetian theatres to be built in the 1650s–60s opera craze following Teatr ...

, Venice, in November 1727. It is to be distinguished from an earlier Vivaldi opera of 1714, '' Orlando furioso'', set to much the same libretto, once thought to be a revival of a 1713 opera by

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but now considered by Vivaldian musicologists to be a fully-fledged opera by Vivaldi himself. The opera – more formally, the ''

dramma per musica Dramma per musica ( Italian, literally: ''drama for music'', plural: ''drammi per musica'') is a libretto. The term was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries. In modern times the same meaning of ''dra ...

'' – alternates

aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

s with

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...

, and is set on an island at an unspecified time. The story line combines several plot lines from Ariosto: the exploits of the hero

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

are detailed, as well as the tale of the sorceress Alcina.

Roles

Synopsis

Antonio Vivaldi - Orlando - titlepage of the libretto, Venice 1727

Act 1

In a delightful garden in which two springs are seen, Medoro escapes from a shipwreck into the arms of his beloved Angelica. Alcina magically helps Medoro and he recounts how he was first captured, then shipwrecked. Orlando is jealous of Medoro, but Angelica lies and says Medoro is her brother. Alcina is attracted to the knight Ruggiero. She uses her magic to make him forget Bradamante and love her instead. Bradamante discovers Ruggiero's "betrayal." She shows him the ring he gave her therefore breaking Alcina's spell. Ruggiero feels guilty for his actions.

Act 2

In a grove with green secluded spots, Astolfo reflects how he loves Alcina, but is tormented by her unfaithfulness. Meanwhile, in a mountainous alpine region with a high, precipitous cliff, Angelica and Medoro swear their love and part ways. To rid herself of Orlando, Angelica sends him to fight a monster who guards —she claims— a vase containing an elixir of youth: the potion by which

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

revived the dying

Aeson In Greek mythology, Aeson (; Ancient Greek: Αἴσων ''Aísōn'') was a king of Iolcos, Iolcus in Thessaly. He was the father of the hero Jason. According to one version of the story, he was imprisoned by his half-brother Pelias, and when Pel ...

.Quotation from the libretto (act 2, scene 5), drawn from the booklet accompanying the Erato 1978 LP, (translation by Edward Houghton).
Angelica: "Above that cliff which you see//A silver vessel preserves the fateful liquid//By which Medea restored youth//To feeble Esone. I would have it". In fact, she is just trying to lure him into an enchanted cavern from which Alcina's spell makes escape impossible. Orlando enters defying the monster and is trapped. Realizing Angelica's faithlessness, however, he digs his way out despite the spell. Angelica and Medoro marry in a countryside at the foot of a hill. They carve their vows on a nearby tree. Orlando finds the tree, and on reading the inscription, becomes so furious that he starts destroying the trees.

Act 3

The place is at the entrance hall before the temple of

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depict ...

. Astolfo believes Orlando dead. With Ruggiero and Bradamante, he plots revenge against Alcina. The secret of Alcina's power lies in an urn with Merlin's ashes, which is locked in the temple of Hecate. They await Alcina's return. Inside the temple of Hecate, Bradamante disguises herself as a man. Alcina falls in love with her. Orlando, still raving mad about the marriage of Angelica and Medoro, fights with the temple statues, inadvertently destroying Alcina's power. On a deserted island. Alcina tries to attack the sleeping Orlando, but is prevented by Ruggiero and Bradamante. Astolfo returns to arrest Alcina. Orlando regains his reason and forgives Angelica and Medoro.

Recordings

* 1978:

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, Carmen Gonzales,

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, Nicola Zaccaria;

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; Erato * 1990 (video recording): Marilyn Horne, Susan Patterson, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Sandra Walker,

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, Jeffrey Gall, Kevin Langan; Orchestra and Chorus of the

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, Randall Behr, production by

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, Blandine Staskiewicz,

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; Ensemble Matheus; Jean-Christophe Spinosi; Naïve OP30393 * 2008: Anne Desler, Nicki Kennedy, Marianna De Liso, Luca Dordolo; Coro da Camera Italiano;

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, Federico Maria Sardelli. CPO * 2011: Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Verónica Cangemi, Romina Basso, Jennifer Larmore,

, Kristina Hammarström, Christian Senn; Chorus of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Ensemble Matheus; Jean-Christophe Spinosi;

Pierre Audi Pierre Audi (born 1957 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a French-Lebanese theatre director and artistic director. Early life Audi is the son of the Lebanese banker Raymond Audi and Andrée Michel Fattal, the eldest of three children.Libretto
*
"Legacy Of An Epic: Vivaldi's ''Orlando Furioso''
by Bruce Scott,

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, 22 July 2011 {{Authority control Italian-language operas Matter of France Operas by Antonio Vivaldi 1727 operas Operas Operas based on works by Ludovico Ariosto Cross-dressing-related music