The first performance of Handel’s Italian opera

in 1711 was one of the most important events in the history of opera production in England. There had been other operas in “the

manner of Musick” (Dean and Knapp, 142), as early as 1705, but

was the work that truly established the genre. After his great success in Italy with

(Florence, 1707) and

(Venice, 1709), Handel chose London as his next stage, and was to dominate the musical scene there until his death in 1759. His commitment to Italian opera would see the establishment of the Royal Academy of Music, in 1719, and the composition of over forty operas (all in Italian). Under Handel’s direction, London would become the opera capital of the world, signing up, at enormous expense, the best…

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Citation: Alsop, Derek . "Rinaldo". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 June 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34234, accessed 21 November 2024.]