Arianna in Creta

Did You Know?

• A recording of Arianna in Creta was made in 2005 by the Orchestra of Patras conducted by George Petrou.
• The opera includes a character named Tauride, a Cretan warrior who must be defeated to end the human sacrifice.

Performance history

The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 26 January 1734. A revised version with added dances for Marie Sallé was presented at Covent Garden Theatre on 27 November of the same year. Like most Baroque opera seria, it went unperformed for many years. With the revival of interest in Baroque music since the 1960s, it has been staged again, including by the London Handel Festival in 2014 and in concert by the Handel Festival, Halle in 2018.

Synopsis

The action takes place in Crete in legendary antiquity. King Minos of Crete had warred with King Aegeus of Athens, who killed Minos' infant son and abducted his baby daughter, later raised by King Archeus of Thebes as his own. As tribute, Athens sends seven youths and seven maidens every seven years to be devoured by the Minotaur. The hero Teseo arrives to slay the monster and defeat the warrior Tauride, hoping to free his beloved Arianna, whom Minos demands as a hostage. Minos agrees to free Arianna at Teseo's request. Among the Athenian maidens is Carilda, noticed by Tauride, who falls in love with her; she secretly loves Teseo, while the youth Alceste also loves Carilda. Teseo tells Arianna of his plan to kill the Minotaur, causing her fear, and tells Alceste he is better suited for the task. In the temple of Jupiter, Minos orders Alceste to draw the first victim's name from an urn; he draws Carilda's name. Teseo offers to enter the labyrinth in her place, which Minos accepts, but Arianna becomes jealous, thinking Teseo acts out of love for Carilda.

Context and analysis

Handel, after early work in Italy, settled in London and introduced Italian opera there with Rinaldo in 1711, sparking a craze for opera seria. In 1719 he became music director of the Royal Academy of Music, a company producing Italian operas, where he composed, hired singers, and adapted works. Handel then partnered with John James Heidegger and started a new company with prima donna Anna Strada. Revisions of English works like Acis and Galatea and Esther, plus the oratorio Deborah, proved popular, though the Italian singers' English pronunciation caused ridicule. In January 1733, Handel presented Orlando with star castrato Senesino, but dismissed him that June. Already in January 1733, plans emerged for a rival company; by June 15, noble lords, with approval from Frederick, Prince of Wales, formed the Opera of the Nobility, hiring Senesino and other former Handel singers, openly opposing Handel.