Rinaldo

Landmarks surround this Handel opera: it was his first work prepared for the London stage; the first of his librettos written in Italian;and this concert performance will bring the first UK appearance of soprano Maki Mori, in the leading role of Almirena.

The production is conducted by the revered Masaaki Suzuki and backed by the musicians of the Bach Collegium, Japan. Taking the other lead is Clint van der Linde, the South African counter-tenor whose experience with baroque music, and the work of Handel in particular, is extensive. He has to date appeared in several of the operas for the London Handel Festival, as well as a number of the passions and masses.

The opera is a dramatic tale of love, deception and magic set during the time of the crusades, and firmly deserves its place as part of the standard operatic repertoire.