Alcina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alcina |
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| by George Frideric Handel | |
Handel in 1733
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| Genre | Opera seria |
| Librettist | Riccardo Broschi |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | Covent Garden London, England 16 April 1735 |
Alcina is an opera (a play set to music) by George Frideric Handel. It's a type of opera called an opera seria, which means it's a serious opera. The story, called the libretto, was written by Riccardo Broschi. It's based on a part of a famous old poem called Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. Handel also added some short ballet dances for the famous dancer Marie Sallé.
Alcina was first performed on 16 April 1735. This happened at Covent Garden in London. It was performed again in Germany in 1738. After that, it was not performed for a very long time. It was finally performed again in 1928.
Many famous singers have performed in Alcina. Joan Sutherland sang the main role in Venice in 1960. She also sang it in Dallas that same year. In 1962, she sang it at the Royal Opera House in London. Renée Fleming sang the role in Chicago in 1999.
Contents
Main Characters in Alcina
This opera has several important characters. Each character is sung by a different type of singer.
- Alcina: A powerful sorceress. She is sung by a soprano (a high female voice).
- Morgana: Alcina's sister. She is also sung by a soprano.
- Oberto: A young boy looking for his father. He is sung by a boy soprano (a high boy's voice).
- Ruggiero: A brave knight and Bradamante's fiancé. He is sung by a mezzo-soprano (a medium female voice).
- Bradamante: Ruggiero's fiancée. She is also sung by a mezzo-soprano.
- Oronte: Morgana's lover. He is sung by a tenor (a high male voice).
- Melisso: Ruggiero's former teacher. He is sung by a bass (a low male voice).
The Story of Alcina
The story of Alcina is about magic and love. It takes place on a mysterious island.
Alcina's Magic Island
Alcina is a powerful sorceress. She uses her magic to change people. She can turn them into stones, trees, or even animals. Bradamante arrives on Alcina's island. She is looking for her fiancé, Ruggiero. Alcina has used her magic on Ruggiero. He is now under her spell and deeply in love with her.
Breaking the Spell
Bradamante has a special magic ring. This ring can break spells. She plans to use it to free all of Alcina's victims. She lets Ruggiero wear the ring. As soon as he puts it on, he sees the truth. He realizes that Alcina is a cruel enchantress. He also sees that her beautiful island is actually a desert.
The End of Alcina's Power
Alcina truly loves Ruggiero. Because of this, her magic powers start to weaken. Bradamante and Ruggiero work together. They destroy a special urn. This urn is the source of all of Alcina's magic power. When the urn is destroyed, Alcina's magical world disappears. All of her victims, who were turned into objects or animals, become humans again.
Images for kids
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Alcina Meets Ruggiero, painted by Niccolò dell'Abbate around 1550.
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A performance of Handel's Alcina in the ancient Herodeion theatre in Athens on 6 July 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Alcina para niños
