I've seen Rinaldo before, in a surreal production with sexual predator David Daniels, but this is the Neapolitan version: as you know, in the baroque era people thought nothing of futzing around with operas to make them match local tastes or to highlight particular singers or whatever. So there are substantial differences here. Actually, I say it's the Neapolitan version, but really, it's a recreation of the opera as it debuted in Naples, the original having been lost. They had the complete libretto and they knew which versions featured new music from Leo, and I guess that was enough to create a more or less accurate version. Maybe purists will quibble, but I think they did FINE.
So what are the differences? Well, as far as music is concerned, it's hard to say, aside from the voice types being a bit scrambled. Can I tell which parts are from Leo? Do they stand out like a sore thumb? Nope! The most noticeable change, probably, is the introduction of two comic servant roles, Nesso and Lesbina. They're barely even musical roles; each character gets a line or two of recitative, but their meet-cute story mostly plays out in spoken dialogue between acts (which, it must be said, DOES go on a bit). Even if you didn't know, you could probably guess that these two were added after the fact. Their stuff almost feels more like an intermezzo than anything to do with the actual plot.
Another difference you'll notice is that this version is much more bloodthirsty; the original does the usual baroque thing of forgiving and redeeming the villains, but here Argante and Armida are sentenced to death, which they face with defiance--although then they do join in on the final chorus, so I dunno. I don't see this as an improvement; baroque opera's typical emphasis on forgiveness is one of its more endearing qualities.
OH WELL. The music is still great, as you'd expect, so I can't complain too much. But I DO have to complain about the production, which has its issues. It is rock-star-themed, basically. As you can see on the cover there, Rinaldo himself is done up as Freddy Mercury. Goffredo and Eustazio are dressed like Elton John and David Bowie respectively, and Argante is wearing KISS makeup. I have no problem with this; I think it's fun. But the problem is, these guys aren't just known for looking a certain way; there's a flamboyance that goes along with it which is almost completely absent here. I know Rinaldo looks like he's jumping around on that cover, and that image was clearly chosen to suggest dynamism, but that is not the norm: mostly the characters just stand there, clearly not having been given any direction to do otherwise. It seems like the producer didn't really have any vision beyond "this is how they look," and It really does feel like a missed opportunity. The production could've been great; it's not. Also--and this isn't necessarily a complaint--all the castrato roles are played by women, depriving me of my countertenor fix. Well, in that production with Daniels they were all countertenors, so I suppose it evens out.
Still, you know, Handel. Watching it will not fill you with bitter regret.
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