Live in HD Host Deborah Voigt

Rodelinda Renée Fleming

Eduige Stephanie Blythe

Bertarido Andreas Scholl

Unulfo Iestyn Davies

Grimoaldo Joseph Kaiser

Garibaldo Shenyang 

Production a gift of John Van Meter

Additional funding from Mercedes and
Sid Bass, and the Hermione Foundation

The Met: Live in HD series is made
possible by a generous grant from its
founding sponsor

The Neubauer Family Foundation

Global corporate sponsorship of
The Met: Live in HD is provided by
Bloomberg 

The HD broadcasts are supported by
Toll Brothers, America’s luxury
home builder.®

Conductor Harry Bicket

Production Stephen Wadsworth

Set Designer Thomas Lynch

Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz

Lighting Designer Peter Kaczorowski

Coming soon !

Milan, early 18th century. Bertarido, King of Lombardy, has been deposed by Grimoaldo and is presumed dead, while his queen, Rodelinda, and their young son, Flavio, have been left behind. Grimoaldo was promised the hand of Bertarido’s sister, Eduige, which would grant him a legitimate claim to the throne, by she has so far resisted his attempts. Meanwhile Bertarido, who spread the rumor of his own death to gain time, plans to return in disguise to rescue his wife and son. Grimoaldo, resolved to become king, is counseled by his confidant, Garibaldo, and Unulfo, a member of Bertarido’s cabinet who is the only person who knows that Bertarido lives.

Act I Rodelinda and her son are being held prisoner. Grimoaldo announces his wish to marry her instead of Eduige to gain the throne, but the outraged Rodelinda refuses him. Appalled by Grimoaldo’s behavior, Eduige resolves to see him brought down. Bertarido arrives in the city, disguised as a soldier. Together with the loyal Unulfo, he witnesses a meeting between Rodelinda and Garibaldo, in which Garibaldo informs her of Grimoaldo’s ultimatum: if Rodelinda refuses to marry the usurper, her son will die. Defeated, Rodelinda is forced to agree. Bertarido is dismayed at her apparent betrayal.

米蘭和周邊鄉村，十八世紀初。倫巴第和米蘭之王伯塔利多(Bertarido)被格里摩多(Grimoaldo)廢黜，據稱已死，留下王后羅德琳達及他們的幼子弗拉維奧(Flavio)。格里摩多與伯塔利多的姐姐艾迪歌(Eduige)有婚約。只要娶了她，格里摩多就能名正言順繼承王位，但是到目前為止她一直拒絕他的追求，宣稱自己仍在緬懷兄弟。與此同時，為爭取時間，伯塔利多散佈自己已死的謠言，計劃喬裝返回米蘭，營救妻兒。在密友加里博多(Garibaldo)和伯塔利多內閣成員之一尤納佛(Unulfo)的建議下，一心稱王的格里摩多反復權衡利弊。尤納佛是唯一知道伯塔利多仍在世的人。

第一幕

羅德琳達和兒子被軟禁在米蘭的宮殿。格里摩多表示願意捨棄艾迪歌而娶她為妻，藉此繼承王位，憤怒的羅德琳達斷然拒絕。格里摩多的行徑令艾迪歌震驚，提醒他不要忘卻以往的誓言，雖然格里摩多依舊愛她，現在卻拋棄了她。被加里博多的示愛所鼓舞，怒氣勃發的艾迪歌決心要讓格里摩多下台。私下里加里博多洩露，他不過是利用艾迪歌，幫助自己實現稱王的野心。

伯塔利多喬裝成士兵，來到為他建造的紀念碑前。他與忠心耿耿的尤納佛再次相見，此時羅德琳達和兒子弗拉維奧出現。伯塔利多和尤納佛立即隱藏起來。加里博多帶來格里摩多的最後通牒：如果羅德琳達拒絕嫁給他，她兒子將性命不保。被擊中弱點的羅德琳達被迫同意。伯塔利多對她表面上的背叛感到沮喪不已。

Intermission
中場休息    

Act II Garibaldo offers his services to Eduige in exchange for her hand but realizes from her response that she may still be in love with Grimoaldo. Rodelinda reassures Eduige that her son’s future is her greatest concern. Eduige shares with Rodelinda her confused anger over Grimoaldo’s rejection of her. Rodelinda now presents Grimoaldo with an ultimatum of her own: she will marry him if he personally kills her son before her eyes. Her gambit works—Grimoaldo backs down; but he is taken with Rodelinda’s courage and feels that he might actually come to love her. Garibaldo considers the usurper’s weakness and states that power must be seized at any cost.

Eduige meets Bertarido, overjoyed to find him alive. She assures him of Rodelinda’s constancy. Unulfo brings Rodelinda and reunites her with Bertarido. When they are discovered together by Grimoaldo, he orders Bertarido—whom he has never seen before—taken into custody and, enraged, bids them take their final farewells. Bertarido will soon die.

第二幕

王宮中，加里博多向艾迪歌透露格里摩多的結婚計劃。他再次提出，為獲取她的芳心，他願意為她效勞，不過從她的反應中看出她可能依舊愛著格里摩多。羅德琳達出現，再三向艾迪歌保證，兒子的前途才是她最憂心的問題。艾迪歌對羅德琳達為何接受叛徒格里摩多的求婚感到不解。她自己對他已經因愛生恨。現在輪到羅德琳達給格里摩多下最後通牒：只要他當著她的面親手殺死她兒子，她就嫁給他，因為她身為有合法繼承權的王室後裔的母親，無法嫁給篡位者。她賭贏了，震驚的格里摩多退縮了。加里博多研究著格里摩多的弱點，決心不計任何代價篡權奪位。尤納佛決定告訴伯塔利多，他的妻子依舊忠貞。

艾迪歌偶遇遊蕩中的伯塔利多，驚喜地發現他還活著。尤納佛向伯塔利多保證，羅德琳達沒有背叛他，艾迪歌也許諾幫助他救出家人。尤納佛離開，帶羅德琳達返回。夫妻二人得以團聚，此時格里摩多出現。格里摩多從未見過伯塔利多，以為羅德琳達私會情人，勃然大怒。伯塔利多說出自己的真實身份，但是為保住丈夫的性命，羅德琳達準備犧牲自己的名譽，稱他一派胡言。格里摩多表示，無論情敵是誰，都得死，隨後離去，留下這對夫妻互道永別。

Intermission
中場休息    

Act III E duige and Unulfo plan Bertarido’s rescue from prison Garibaldo advises Grimoaldo to have Bertarido killed right away, but Grimoaldo hesitates.

Bertarido finds a weapon dropped through the bars of his cell. In the darkness he strikes out at what he believes to be an assassin—but it is Unulfo. Though wounded, Unulfo manages to get Bertarido to change out of the clothes he has been seen in. The two men escape through a tunnel. Rodelinda, who arrives with Eduige to rescue her husband, finds only Bertarido’s clothes covered with Unulfo’s blood. She imagines the worst.

Grimoaldo is tormented by his deeds. As Garibaldo is about to assassinate the sleeping usurper, Bertarido appears and kills Garibaldo. He then challenges Grimoaldo to take his revenge on his own savior. Grimoaldo is himself ready to surrender and restores wife, child, and throne to the rightful king. His apology to Eduige goes unheeded at first, but eventually she forgives him. The survivors can envision and celebrate a happier future.

第三幕

艾迪歌和尤納佛計劃幫伯塔利多越獄，艾迪歌不知這樁善行能否彌補她之前的罪惡。加里博多建議格里摩多立即處死伯塔利多，但是格里摩多猶豫不決，在害怕、懷疑、愛與懊悔等各種感情之間搖擺不定。

身陷囹圄的伯塔利多發現從牢房的鐵欄間掉下一件武器。當聽到有人接近，他拿起武器刺向闖入者，誰料是尤納佛。受傷的尤納佛帶伯塔利多從密道逃脫。羅德琳達與艾迪歌一同趕來營救丈夫，結果只看到尤納佛染血的外套，以為伯塔利多已經遇害。

格里摩多仍在因自己的罪行而痛苦。加里博多打算刺殺睡夢中的格里摩多，但是伯塔利多出現，殺死加里博多。隨後，伯塔利多質問格里摩多為何恩將仇報。尤納佛和艾迪歌入內，坦誠是他們幫助伯塔利多逃脫。心懷感激的格里摩多將妻兒和王位還給正統的國王，並重提與艾迪歌的婚約，艾迪歌原諒了他。眾人共慶美好未來。