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Rodelinda (Handel, 1725)

• Feb 13, 1725 - King’s Theatre, London

< Massive commercial success; written at the absolute peak of Handel's career.>

• Jun 26, 1920 (rev. Oskar Hagen) - Stadttheater Göttingen, Germany
  • 1931 - Smith College, Massachusetts, United States
  • 1939 - London, England

< Oskar Hagen version. / Heavy transposition (Castrato roles shifted down to natural Baritones/Basses) / Birth of the Handel Renaissance. Sung in German; heavily cut score; Expressionist sets. / The American premiered / The American premiere (directed by Werner Josten) exported the German Handel revival across the Atlantic.

• Jun 24, 1959 (rev. Charles Farncombe), Sadler's Wells, London

< Charles Farncombe version / Mezzo-soprano pants roles (Margreta Elkins) / The "Sutherland Cyclone". Re-introduced original high pitches, basso continuo (Thurston Dart), and virtuosic bel canto style.

• 1998 (rev. William Christie) - Glyndebourne Festival

< William Christie & J.M. Villégier / Countertenors (Andreas Scholl) / First Handel opera staged at Glyndebourne. Period instruments, original Italian, and a "silent movie" 1930s monochrome setting.>

• 2004 - Metropolitan Opera, New York
  • 2011 - Metropolitan Opera, New York Renee Fleming, Andreas Scholl (YouTube video)

< Patrick Summers & S. Wadsworth / Countertenors (Andreas Scholl & David Daniels) / Renée Fleming in the title role. Proved that period-informed Handel could permanently fill a 4,000-seat romantic opera house.

• 2014 - English National Opera in 2014.
  • 2015 - Bolshoi Theatre