The background of the opera comes from the poem Orlando Furioso. The heroic knight Ruggiero is destined to a short but glorious life, and a benevolent magician is always whisking him away from the arms of his fiancée, Bradamante. Bradamante is not the type to put up with the constant disappearance of her lover, and she spends vast portions of the poem in full armor chasing after him. Just before the opera begins she has rescued him from an enchanted castle, only to have her flying horse (a hippogriff) take a fancy to Ruggiero and fly off with him. Ruggiero and the hippogriff land on an island in the middle of the ocean. As the hippogriff begins to eat the leaves of a myrtle bush, Ruggiero is startled to hear the bush begin to speak. The bush reveals that it was once a living soul named Sir Astolfo, and the island belongs to the sister sorceresses Alcina and Morgana. The beautiful Alcina seduces every knight that lands on her isle, but soon tires of her lovers and changes them into stones, animals, plants, or anything that strikes her fancy. Despite Astolfo's warning, Ruggiero strides off to meet this sorceress – and falls under her spell.

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Composer: George Frideric Handel

Libretto: Ludovico Ariosto
Stage Director: Themelis Glynatsis

Assistant director: Panos Kougias

Costume design: Alexia Theodoraki

Costume designer's assistant: Irini Vlavianou 

Choreographer: Katerina Spyropoulou
Lighting design: Stella Kaltsou
Photography Credits: Giorgos Tsaknias

Production: Rafi Music Theatre Company
Production manager: Dāna Papachristou

Conductor: Michalis Papapetrou

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Cast

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Alcina: Sotiria Giannoudi, Miranda Makrynioti

Morgana: Lito Messini, Maira Milolidaki

Bradamante: Athena Kastrinaki, Chrysanthi Spitadi

Guggiero: Anastasia Kotsali

Oberto: Marilena Chrysochoidi

Oronte: Yannis Filias

Melisso: Sotiris Triantis

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Actors: Daphne Skroumbelou, Vasileia Kanaki, Marilena Germanou, Erato Boliari, Georgia Melidou, Andonis Gritsis, Georgos Karasis

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Musicians

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Harpsichord: Michalis Papapetrou

Violins: Deborah Katz, Pericles Timplalexis

Viola: Fotis Papantoniou

Cello: Alexandros Kasartzis