Lotario

Lotario ("Lothair", HWV 26) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Antonio Salvi's Adelaide.The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 2 December 1729.

The story of the opera is a fictionalisation of some events in the life of Holy Roman Empress Adelaide of Italy.

Paolo Rolli commented in a letter at the time to Giuseppe Riva that "everyone thinks (Lotario) a very bad opera". There were 10 performances, but it was not repeated. Handel reused pieces in later operas.

As with all Baroque opera seria, Lotario went unperformed for many years, but with the revival of interest in Baroque music and historically informed musical performance since the 1960s,Lotario, like all Handel operas, receives performances at festivals and opera houses today. Among other performances, Lotario was staged at the London Handel Festival in 1999 and by the Handel Festival, Halle in 2004.

Before the action begins, Berengario had ruled Italy together with Adelaide's husband, but desiring all the power for himself, Berengario had Adelaide's husband poisoned and then tried to force her to marry his son Idelberto, who loves her. Adelaide refused, and now, as Queen of Italy, she has taken refuge in a fortress in Pavia.

Berengario is full of ambition and rage and has sent his son Idalberto to storm the walls of Pavia. He receives news that the German King Lotario is on his way with an army to protect Adelaide. Matilde, Berengario's wife and fully his match in ambition and rage, announces that she has bribed Adelaide's soldiers to open the gates of Pavia to their forces. Her son is truly in love with Adelaide and begs his parents not to do anything that will endanger her, but Matilde will not be moved - Adelaide must marry Idelberto or face death.

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