Sosarme

The text was based on an earlier libretto by Antonio Salvi, Dionisio, Re di Portogallo (Dionisius, King of Portugal), and adapted by an unknown writer.

The first revival since 1734 was in 1970 at Abingdon, UK, though the work had been broadcast in full by the BBC in 1955, a performance on which the slightly abridged recording of the same year, under Anthony Lewis (listed below) was based.

Sosarme King of the neighbouring empire of the Medes had been engaged to marry Princess Elmira, Melo's sister, and is invading with an army of his own to try to stop this dynastic war.

King Haliate is besieging Sardis, where his rebellious son Melo, his daughter Elmira and wife Erenice are living in the palace.

Haliate decides to spare the people an extended war, and to settle the quarrel with his son Melo by challenging him to fight in single combat.

A tremendous success, Rinaldo created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers.

[8][9] The Royal Academy of Music collapsed at the end of the 1728 - 29 season, partly due to the huge fees paid to the star singers.