Handel: Overture to Rodrigo, HWV 5

Description

The three-act opera Rodrigo, HWV 5, was composed in 1707 and was George Frideric Handel's (1685-1759) first opera in the Italian style. Telling the tale of the historical Rodrigo, the last Visigothic king of Spain, and his infidelity and forced abdication, the libretto was based on Il duello d'Amore e di Vendetta (The Conflict Between Love and Revenge) by Francesco Silvani. The premiere performance took place in Florence at the Teatro Cocomero in November of 1707, but much of the music was lost after. The opera has seen a revival since the 1980s as some of the lost fragments from Act III were found in 1983. The overture alone also finds its way on concert programs. Instrumentation: 0.2.0.1(opt): 0.0.0.0: Str (2-2-2-1-1 in set): Hpchd.