Handel at the Met

While the great Romantic operas of the 19th century have long formed the core of the Met’s offerings season after season, in recent decades, the company had also had great success performing Baroque works, especially those of the German-born master George Frideric Handel. The Met first presented a full Handel opera in 1984, when bass Samuel Ramey took on the title role of Rinaldo. Two years later, Samson arrived on the stage, followed in 1988, when Tatiana Troyanos and Kathleen Battle led the first company performances of Giulio Cesare. Since then, Giulio Cesare has made frequent appearances featuring numerous great artists. In 2004, soprano Renée Fleming took on the title role of Rodelinda, while the 2011 Met-created Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island incorporated a number of selections from many lesser-known Handel operas. And in 2020, with the premiere of Sir David McVicar’s satirical new production, Agrippina became the latest of the composer’s works to enter the Met repertoire. Discover the history of Handel at the Met with this exciting new playlist!