Riccardo Primo reveals a less frequently performed side of Handel in an opera that combines vocal virtuosity with dramatic intensity. At the centre of the production is Hugh Cutting, one of the most outstanding emerging countertenors of his generation, returning to the Palau de la Música Catalana after his appearance in the St Matthew Passion with Arcangelo. A spectacular voice and a distinctive stage presence make him ideally suited to the role of Riccardo, inspired by Richard the Lionheart. Around him, Handel weaves a plot of love, deception and struggles for power that begins with the shipwreck in Cyprus of Costanza, his fiancée.

Alongside Cutting is a first-rate cast featuring Deborah Cachet, Mélissa Petit, Alex Rosen and Andreas Wolf, under the direction of Paul Agnew. Completing the line-up is Les Arts Florissants, one of the leading ensembles in historically informed performance, with a particularly strong association with the Baroque repertoire.