About the work
Amadigi di Gaula is a three-act 'magic opera' by George Frideric Handel, its libretto adapting Antoine Houdar de la Motte's Amadis de Grèce for the Italian operatic stage. It premiered on 25 May 1715 at the King's Theatre in London, Handel's fifth Italian opera for London.
Plot
The sorceress Melissa holds the lovers Amadigi and Oriana captive because she desires Amadigi's love for herself. His friend Dardano turns against him after falling in love with Oriana himself and allies with Melissa. Her schemes repeatedly fail, and true love triumphs in the end.
Cultural significance
The story derives from the chivalric romance Amadis de Gaule. For the small cast of four high voices, Handel used unusually colourful wind writing reminiscent of his Water Music; the opera remains a regular feature at the Handel festivals in Göttingen and Halle.