With music of dazzling inventiveness and a fantastical story, Handel’s Giustino is a rarely-seen wonder of the operatic repertoire. This production, which continues our exploration of Handel's Covent Garden works, marks the first staging on the original site (and the first UK professional staging) since the opera's premiere in 1737. In a new staging which explores the journey from the bravery of youth to the complexities of adulthood, British theatre and opera director Joe Hill-Gibbins (The Marriage of Figaro, English National Opera and Ghosts, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) joins forces with conductor David Bates who leads Baroque ensemble La Nuova Musica in this co-production with The Royal Opera.

A Covent Garden History

This production of Giustino is the latest instalment in the The Royal Opera’s series of Handel’s Covent Garden works, following in the footsteps of recent productions of Alcina, Jephtha, Theodora and Susanna. Giustino was first performed in Covent Garden in 1737, during Handel’s decades-long association with the British capital. The original cast featured a star-studded lineup of the premier singers of the day, including two castrati, Domenico Annibali and Gioacchino Conti, whose vocal prowess was showcased in virtuosic arias.

Musical highlights

With its story of seascapes, palaces and mythical monsters, Giustino would have demanded some of the most advanced theatrical technology of Handel’s time – and the music he composed matches it in vibrancy and daring. The unusual overture features an extended oboe solo (written for the virtuoso instrumentalist Giuseppe Sammartini) that almost turns into a concerto in its own right, and vocal fireworks abound, as heard in Giustino’s heroic aria, ‘Se parla nel mio cor’, and Anastasio’s valiant ‘Un vostro sguardo’.

Who was the real Giustino?

In 450 AD, Justin I was born into a humble peasant family. Thanks to his military successes, he rose through the army’s ranks, becoming commander of the Imperial Guard. At the (then considerable) age of 68, he was made Eastern Roman emperor from 518–527, and founded a dynasty that lasted for three further generations.