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At the time of the First Crusade, forces led by Goffredo (Godfrey of Bouillon) are laying siege on Jerusalem which is under the rule of the Saracen king Argante. Aiding Goffredo are his brother Eustazio and Goffredo's daughter Almirena, who is in love with the knight Rinaldo. But Rinaldo is taken hostage by Armida, Argante's ally, who is the Queen of Damascus and a powerful enchantress.
Act I
The Christian camp outside the gates of Jerusalem. Rinaldo, a knight, reminds Goffredo, the captain general of the Crusade force, that Goffredo promised him the hand of his daughter Almirena, if the city is conquered. Armida, Queen of Damascus, enchantress and mistress of Argante, the Saracen king of Jerusalem, arrives in a fiery chariot and tells him that they will only conquer the city if Rinaldo is detached from the Christian army. In a grove, Almirena and Rinaldo affirm their love. Armida leads Almirena away. When Rinaldo resists, the women are carried away in a black cloud and Rinaldo is devastated. Goffredo and his brother Eustazio enter and the latter advises consulting a hermit to defeat Armida. Rinaldo calls on tempests to help him.
Act II
On a seashore, amid mermaids, Rinaldo and Goffredo complain about how far they must travel to find the hermit. Eustazio tells them they are close to their destination. Rinaldo is lured into a boat by a spirit in the form of a lovely woman who tells him Almirena has sent her. His companions are unable to prevent him entering the boat. In Armida's enchanted palace garden, Argante makes advances to Almirena, saying he can prove his love by breaking Armida's spell. She pleads to be left alone. Armida is pleased at Rinaldo's capture and offers him her love. When he refuses, she changes her appearance to that of Almirena. Taken in at first, he is furious when the deception is revealed. On Argante's arrival, she again changes her appearance which only exposes his affection for Almirena. She calls for revenge.
Act III
The hermit's cave at the bottom of a mountain with a palace at the top. The hermit-magician tells Goffredo and Eustazio that Rinaldo and Almirena are prisoners in the palace. The Christians' first attempt to release them is repelled by 'ugly' spirits, they escape back to the cave and the magician gives them special wands to conquer witchcraft. They strike the palace gates, the mountain disappears, leaving Goffredo and Eustazio clinging to the sides of a huge rock in the middle of the sea. Armida tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo draws his sword but is restrained by spirits. His companions arrive and use their wands to transform the garden into the area near the city gate at Jerusalem. They are reunited with Rinaldo. Armida again tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo attacks her and she vanishes. Argante and Armida are reconciled. The armies prepare to fight. The Christians win, thanks to Rinaldo. Argante and Armida are captured and profess the Christian faith. Almirena and Rinaldo are united.
Agrippina, wife of Claudius, has received news that her husband has died at sea. Immediately her mind turns to the problem of securing the throne for Nero, her son by a previous marriage. She summons him and commands him to go and give grain to the people in order to buy popular support. After he leaves to carry out his instructions, she summons in turn her two freemen, Pallas and Narcissus, neither of whom knows that the other loves her, though she is aware of their affections. She promises each her love if Nero becomes Emperor, and they leave for the Capitol to acclaim Nero as the new ruler. Agrippina summons the Senate to inform them of Claudius's death and asks them to choose a new Emperor. Pallas and Narcissus immediately cry out Nero's name.
Agrippina and Nero ascend the throne, but, after a flourish of trumpets, Claudius's servant Lesbus arrives to announce that his master is not dead after all but was saved from death at sea by Otho, the commander of the army. Otho then himself arrives to declare that, out of gratitude, Claudius has promised him the throne. The conspirators are dismayed, but Otho then confides to Agrippina that he loves the Roman beauty Poppea far more than the throne. Agrippina knows that Claudius also loves Poppea, and realises that her schemes have not been entirely defeated.
Agrippina goes to Poppea's dwelling, and, after confirming that Poppea does truly love Otho, tells her that Otho has struck a bargain with Claudius: he can have the throne only if he yields Poppea to the current Emperor. She suggests that Poppea should therefore punish Otho by telling Claudius that he has ordered Poppea to refuse Claudius's attentions and give herself to him (Otho) alone. Agrippina claims that this will make Claudius so angry he will strip Otho of his claim to the throne. Poppea is deceived, and when Claudius duly arrives, all proceeds exactly as Agrippina has planned. Poppea is rescued from Claudius's amatory demands by Agrippina's planned return, and Claudius is forced to flee.
Act 2
Agrippina and Nero.
Meanwhile, Pallas and Narcissus have discovered that Agrippina has tricked them both, and decide to band together to escape the treacheries in which they are embroiled. Otho arrives, nervous about his forthcoming coronation, followed by Claudius riding on a triumphal chariot. Britain has just been conquered, and his subjects all acclaim his glory. However, when Otho goes up to him to claim his promised reward, Claudius brutally repulses him, calling him a traitor. Otho is dumbfounded, and in turn appeals to Agrippina, Poppea, and Nero for support, but they all scorn him, plunging him into despair and the lament "Voi che udite".
However, seeing her beloved's genuine grief, Poppea wonders whether he might not be innocent after all, and lies down in her garden as if in sleep, recounting in "sleep" what Agrippina has told her earlier as Otho approaches. Seeing her then "wake", Otho cannot restrain himself and furiously protests his innocence. Poppea realises how Agrippina has tricked her and swears revenge. Meanwhile, Agrippina has ordered Pallas to kill first Narcissus and then Otho, and Narcissus to kill Pallas and Otho, plotting the scheme in her scena "Pensieri, voi mi tormentate". This time the freemen are not fooled. Agrippina is more successful when it comes to Claudius, telling him that Otho is still plotting to take the throne. She advises him that to stifle his ambitions Claudius should abdicate in favour of Nero. Claudius agrees, eager to be with Poppea again.
Act 3
In the meantime, Poppea has devised a plan. She instructs Otho to hide behind a curtain in her bedroom and to remain silent no matter what he hears. Nero arrives: he also loves Poppea, but she tells him that his mother is coming and persuades him to hide as well. Claudius enters, but Poppea complains that he does not really love her. Claudius reminds her that he punished Otho for her sake, but Poppea suddenly announces that he misheard her: it was not Otho but Nero who insulted her. To prove it, she calls Nero out of hiding, but Claudius interrupts his ardent wooing and contemptuously sends him packing. Poppea then gets rid of Claudius by telling him that he cannot give him her love while Agrippina holds such anger towards her. She brings Otho out of hiding, and the two swear everlasting love to each other, Otho in his aria "Pur ch'io ti stringa" and Poppea with "Bel piacere". Originally Handel had the two sing a duet, "No, no, ch'io non apprezzo", but he was dissatisfied with the music and replaced the duet with the two solo arias before the first performance.[35]
Meanwhile the opera moves to its climax. Nero tells his mother of his sudden fall from grace and asks her to protect him. He renounces love in favour of political ambition in the virtuosic aria "Come nubbe che fugge dal vento", of which the A section is borrowed from Piacere's "Come nube che fugge col vento" in his earlier oratorio, Il trionfo del tempo.[36] Simultaneously, Pallas and Narcissus have told Claudius of the original plot to gain the throne for Nero, so when Agrippina urges Claudius to render the throne to Nero, he accuses her of attempting to rob him of it. She admits she sought the throne for Nero but claims that this was only to prevent intrigues among the people and Senate and that therefore she was safeguarding the throne for Claudius. Claudius is convinced, and Agrippina further tells him to abandon Poppea as she is Otho's lover, but Claudius contradicts her, informing her that it was, in fact, Nero. When Poppea, Otho, and Nero arrive, Claudius accuses Nero of having hidden himself in Poppea's apartment, which Nero cannot and does not deny. Suddenly, the Emperor announces that Otho shall have the throne after all, and that Nero shall marry Poppea. But this solution pleases nobody, so Claudius gives Poppea to Otho, and, wishing to see peace at last, gives up the throne to Nero. Finally he summons the goddess Juno to bless the empire and the betrothed.[37]
Prior to the start of the opera, Rodrigo had deposed the previous king, Vitizza, who was corrupt, but then Rodrigo indulged in the same vices after he had become king. One example was his seduction of Florinda, who bore his son as a result. Rodrigo had intended to leave his wife Esilena, who was reportedly infertile, and marry Florinda. However, Rodrigo has not kept this promise.
Act I The start of the opera brings news that Giuliano has defeated the sons of Vitizza in battle. In spite of her husband's betrayal, Esilena stays loyal to Rodrigo. Rodrigo demands that Evanco, the last surviving son of Vitizza, be executed. However, Esilena asks that Evanco be spared, and he is turned over to the custody of Giuliano. Giuliano learns of Rodrigo's broken promise to Florinda, and abandons his former support of Rodrigo to make an alliance with Evanco. Evanco is himself in love with Florinda. Rodrigo tells Esilena of his infidelity with Florinda. Esilena is prepared to renounce the throne to Florinda if it will bring peace.
Act II At the military camp, Giuliano promises Evanco the throne if he will marry Florinda. Fernando has secretly offered his help to Giuliano against Rodrigo. Giuliano accepts the offer, in spite of warnings. Esilena offers to surrender her throne and husband to Florinda in exchange for peace. Florinda refuses, determined to have vengeance for Rodrigo's betrayal.
Fernando has captured Giuliano and taken him to Rodrigo. Rodrigo wants Giuliano executed, but Fernando and Esilena halt that intention for fear of stoking the rebellion. Rodrigo conveys through Fernando the message to Evanco that the only way he will be pardoned is to surrender himself. The only way that Florinda can save her brother is to leave the kingdom.
The army of Evanco then attacks and breaches the city. As they enter, they see Giuliano surrounded by Rodrigo's soldiers with Fernando about to kill him. Fernando presents Rodrigo's message, but it is refused. Evanco then kills Fernando and saves Giuliano.
Act III The forces of Rodrigo battle those of Giuliano and Evanco, and Rodrigo is defeated and captured. As Giuliano and Evanco are about to execute Rodrigo, Florinda demands that task fro herself. Before she can kill Rodrigo, Esilena enters with Florinda's son, and says that if Florinda wants to kill the father, she should kill the son as well. This stops Florinda, who then offers to spare Rodrigo. Giuliano and Evanco want none of that, but Esilena persuades them to be charitable as well. Rodrigo has become humbled at this turn of events, and tells Esilena that he may punish him for his infidelity. She does not do so. Rodrigo is allowed to abdicate the throne, and to go into voluntary exile with Esilena. Evanco ascends the throne, and he marries Florinda. They intend to raise Florinda's son by Rodrigo as the heir to the throne. Giuliano becomes regent.
Handel came to the city of Hamburg in the summer of 1703 and played as a violinist in the theatre at the Gänsemarkt, the local market place. On later occasions, he also played the harpsichord in the orchestra. His first opera – announced as a Singspiel—had its premiere on 8 January1705 under the direction of Reinhard Keiser, so it is presumed that it must have been composed in the months directly preceding this.
The Italian libretto was written by Giulio Pancieri in Venice in 1691. Giuseppe Boninventi used it in his opera at the time. The translation used by Handel was made by Christian Feustking. While most of the recited parts and arias are sung in German, some remain untranslated.
"Almira" was a resounding success. The opera was performed twenty times in total until its place was taken by Handel's next opera, Nero, the music of which has not been preserved. In 1732 the piece was once more performed in a version edited by Georg Philipp Telemann.
The first modern performance of Almira took place during the “Halleschen Händelfestspiele” (a festival dedicated to Handel) on the 4 June1994, in Bad Lauchstädt.
