About the work
Dramma per musica in three acts by Giovanni Bononcini, premiered on 22 February 1722 at the King's Theatre in London. Apostolo Zeno's 1701 libretto was substantially reworked for this setting by Paolo Antonio Rolli.
Plot
King Gualtiero puts the loyalty of his low-born wife Griselda to a harsh test: he appears to repudiate her and announces a new marriage to Almirena, who is in truth their daughter, believed dead. Only after Griselda endures every humiliation with patience does Gualtiero reveal his true intentions and restore her as his queen.
Cultural significance
The opera was one of Bononcini's successes during his years as Handel's rival at the Royal Academy of Music and ran for several months, helped by soprano Anastasia Robinson in the title role. The aria "Per la gloria d'adorarvi" remains part of the concert repertoire today.