About the work
Rodrigo, originally titled "Vincer se stesso è la maggior vittoria" (To conquer oneself is the greatest victory), is Handel's first Italian opera. At twenty-two, he composed it probably in the summer of 1707, likely while staying at the Roman court of Marchese Francesco Maria Ruspoli, for a performance at the Grand Duke of Tuscany's court in Florence. The premiere took place in autumn 1707 at the Teatro del Cocomero, documented by diary entries recording five performances between 9 and 22 November.
Plot
Driven by ambition and a lust for power, the Iberian king Rodrigo becomes entangled in conflict with his abandoned lover Florinda and her brother Giuliano. Only the loyalty of his wife Esilena and the threat of all-out war finally bring him to his senses. In the end Rodrigo renounces the throne in favour of Florinda and Evanco, securing peace.
Cultural significance
The score survives only in fragments, and because the printed 1707 libretto differs substantially from the surviving composition score, the premiere version could only be reconstructed through a critical edition published in 2007. As Handel's first Italian opera, Rodrigo marks the start of his engagement with Italian operatic tradition, which he continued soon after in Rome and Venice.