Caccini: La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina

La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina by Francesca Caccini is the first opera composed by a woman. Created in Florence in 1625 for the Medici court, this 'favola in musica' combines singing, dancing, and spectacular stage effects in the tradition of early Florentine opera. Inspired by an episode from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, it tells the story of the knight Ruggiero's liberation from the enchantments of the sorceress Alcina, in a world where illusion and reality collide before giving way to a celebratory finale.