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Handel: Rinaldo Rinaldo: Sonia Prina, Goffredo: Varduhi Abrahamyan, Eustazio: Tim Mead, Almirena: Anett Fritsch, Armida: Brenda Rae, Argante: Luca Pisaroni., Mago: William Towers Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Ottavio Dantone. Glyndebourne Festival, Lewes, Sussex. Opus Arte bluray DVD: OA BD7107 D
This updated Rinaldo comes from the worlds of schooldays and Harry Potter, and alienates Handel's music. Robert Carsen's production had "mixed reviews" at Glyndebourne, and too in a reduced form at the Proms (without scenery). This transposition of the absurd story is based on Tasso’s epic Gerusalemme liberata, about the First Crusade, a popular source for operas in the baroque era. As done here it seriously undermines appreciation of the music, which is generally well sung and, with Ottavio The blu-ray presentation is a bit skimpy; there are subtitles and Chapters on screen, but no timings or listings in the slender booklet, to help reviewing and returning to favourite bits, such as Cara Sposa. I may try to give it another go but, all in all, I got more out of a recent, more modest, modern dress college staging in Blackheath by the Trinity Laban Opera Ensemble. Peter Grahame Woolf photo L: Prina & Fritsch as schoolboy/girl lovers |
Danone in charge of the Orchestra of the Enlightenment, has strong musical values. I am relieved that we were not invited to go to Sussex to review it!