Composed: 1711
Premiered: 1711, London
Duration: 5 minutes

Widely regarded as one of Handel's greatest operas, Rinaldo was composed fairly quickly in 1711 and incorporated a number of the compositions he penned while in Italy from 1706-1710. It was the first Italian-language opera written specifically for the London stage, and was considered a runaway success, becoming his most-performed opera during his lifetime. It was described as "having spectacular stage effects and costumes, and original music," "majestic," and both "varied and excellent."