The Palais Garnier presents Ariodante, an opera seria by Georg Friedrich Handel inspired by Ariosto's Roland furieux. This sumptuous work, directed by Robert Carsen, is to be seen from September 16 to October 12, 2025, in what promises to be a lavish, chiselled production.
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In Ariodante, Princess Ginevra and Prince Ariodante of the Scottish Court fall in love and are about to be married. But the knight Polinesso, driven by ambition and desire, devises a stratagem to discredit Ginevra and eliminate his rival. Happiness explodes, misunderstandings ensue and tragedy looms. Handel deploys the emotional richness of his arias, including the moving "Scherza infida", sublimating the pain of love and the quest for honor.
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Ariodante appeals both to Baroqueopera enthusiasts and to audiences curious to (re)discover Handel in a contemporary, refined staging. Robert Carsen transposes the plot to a fantasized Scotland, mixing traditional kilts, Celtic dances and subtle references to the British royal family. This reading promises to be lively and ironic, and brilliantly illuminates the games of power and manipulation that run through the work.
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With Ariodante, Handel delivers a musical drama in which thwarted passions and power struggles intertwine. Robert Carsen 's elegant and inventive staging promises a spectacle as moving as it is spectacular at the Palais Garnier.
This article is based on information available online; we have not yet seen the show or production mentioned.
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Prices
€50 - €220
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