The main reason why Floridante, written in 1721, has not achieved the same success as other works in the recent resurgence of Handel’s operas has to be found mainly in the libretto, which even for baroque standards lacks credibility and coherence. The librettist Paolo Rolli had taken a perfectly workable earlier text by Francesco Silvani, La costanza in trionfo, and eliminated any sign of clear design, consistent characters and motivation. Such weaknesses are reflected in the music-dramatic impact of the work, and notwithstanding its musical richness Floridante has not really found a footing on the modern stage: only four productions are recorded in the 20th century, a real contrast when compared with Giulio Cesare, written for some of the same singers only 3 years later in 1724, which has been revived over 200 times. It is a real shame,…
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