A story about love and constancy

In this magical tale of chivalry and cunning, the knight Rinaldo battles the scheming sorceress Armida to rescue his beloved Almirena. 

The battle ends in a moment of forgiveness and sacrifice and laying down of arms.  The quest that each side has reveals that pure victory is hollow and the virtue of love and constancy is the thing that wins the day.

Two worlds

In this production, director Louisa Muller, together with set and costume designer Simone Romaniuk and lighting designer Verity Hampson will create a world of magic and adventure, where what's real and imagined is unknown - a contemporary setting with flavours of a medieval fairy tale. 

English countertenor Jake Arditti, who wowed us as Nero in The Coronation of Poppea (2017), returns to dazzle again as the heroic Rinaldo. Australian Emma Pearson (Athalia, 2018) brings her golden and wonderfully flexible soprano to the evil sorceress Armida, and London-based Australian soprano Alexandra Oomens (The Loves of Apollo and Dafne 2021) will shine as Almirena. American Randall Scotting brings his beautifully burnished countertenor tones to the role of Goffredo, while Australian Adrian Tamburini (Médée 2022) will bring his lordly baritone to Argante, the King.