Rodelinda

Story

Prologue

The King of the Longobards, Aripert I, is dead. Instead of naming one heir, he has broken with tradition and split his kingdom between his three children. His son Gundeberto and his daughter Eduige will jointly inherit the Longobard capital of Pavia. His son Bertarido, along with his wife, Rodelinda, and their son, Flavio, will inherit Milan. 

Gundeberto is unhappy with this arrangement and would like to rule the whole of Northern Italy himself. He enlists the help of Grimoaldo to oust Bertarido and Rodelinda. In return, Gundeberto gives him Eduige’s hand in marriage.

However, Grimoaldo’s advisor, Garibaldo, convinces him to opt for a more violent solution. Grimoaldo murders Gundeberto and takes control of Northern Italy. Bertarido is forced to flee, leaving Rodelinda and Flavio at the mercy of their new, despotic ruler.  

Act I

Grimoaldo decides that the new object of his affections is Rodelinda and petitions her to be his Queen. She angrily declines. Eduige, Grimoaldo’s former intended, is torn between her love for Grimoaldo, and her anger at his betrayal of her brothers. In her distress, Eduige agrees to become engaged to Garibaldo instead.

Bertarido, supposed dead, is confronted by his own grave. His advisor, the double-agent Unulfo, arrives with a plan to help Bertarido infiltrate the court and liberate his family. They hide when they see Bertarido’s funeral procession approach and witness Garibaldo threatening to kill Flavio if Rodelinda refuses to marry Grimoaldo. A desperate Rodelinda agrees, but tells Garibaldo that once she is Queen she will demand his execution. Bertarido is heartbroken.

Act II

The preparations for Rodelinda’s wedding commence. Despite her anger, Eduige is still in love with Grimoaldo. She tries to delay her own union to Garibaldo, who breaks off the engagement. Eduige swears revenge on both Grimoaldo and Garibaldo.

Rodelinda makes a pledge to Grimoaldo that she will marry him but, taking a huge risk, stipulates one condition: he must kill Flavio in her presence. She is proved right – Grimoaldo is unable to do it. Grimoaldo begins to doubt his judgement. In the absence of a strong leader, Garibaldo expounds his own tyrannical ethos and Unulfo expresses his belief in benevolent leadership.

Bertarido arrives at court in disguise but is immediately recognised by Eduige, who pledges to help him. Unulfo informs them that the wedding between Rodelinda and Grimoaldo did not take place. Husband and wife are reunited, but a cloud hangs over their meeting.

Grimoaldo, in a bid to speak to Rodelinda alone, finds her with the disguised Bertarido. Grimoaldo believes that Rodelinda has rejected him for an outsider and decides to imprison him.

Act III

Eduige gives Unulfo a key to the prison and tells him that she has smuggled a weapon into Bertarido’s cell. Garibaldo wants the imprisoned Bertarido’s execution to be carried out immediately but Grimoaldo is having second thoughts. 

Bertarido hears someone coming and assumes that it is the executioner. He attacks the intruder, who reveals himself to be Unulfo. The two men manage to escape, leaving only bloodstained clothing behind. Eduige and Rodelinda find the clothing and assume that Bertarido has been executed.

Grimoaldo expresses regret at seizing power and falls asleep, dreaming of a life free from responsibility and worry. The ambitious Garibaldo arrives to murder Grimoaldo. Suddenly, a figure dressed as Bertarido intercepts and kills Garibaldo. The figure is revealed to be Rodelinda, who motions to kill Grimoaldo when the real Bertarido arrives with Unulfo. Bertarido stops Rodelinda from killing Grimoaldo.

Having survived an attempted assassination, Grimoaldo has one final change of heart: he relinquishes any claims to the kingdom, restoring power to Bertarido and Rodelinda.