After paladins Bradamante and Ruggiero get married, Emperor Carlo Magno holds a celebration. But the treacherous paladin Gano hatches a plot to turn the feast into violence and chaos. He plays dice with Rinaldo, who has already won a lot thanks to the money he borrowed from Orlando. Rinaldo wins, but Gano accuses him of cheating. A fight between Gano’s accomplices from Mainz and the other paladins erupts. Rinaldo is about to kill Gano when Carlo Magno arrives. The latter asks Orlando to arrest Rinaldo for not complying with his sovereign’s order. However, Orlando believes that Rinaldo is innocent and lets him escape. When Carlo slaps Orlando as a punishment, Orlando leaves, swearing that he will never protect his king ever again. Husband-and-wife and paladins Carinda and Cladinoro wish to live a restful life after long years of battles and hardships. However, Cladinoro has a bad feeling. A messenger arrives and informs them that King Attamante besieged Soldanella and that he will only spare his life if he leaves the city. Cladinoro refuses to yield and his son Candellino throws the messenger out. In the meantime, Orlando makes his way to pagan lands. There, he meets Antiforo di Barosia, who commands him to give him his arms. They pick a fight, and Antiforo dies. Orlando cuts his head off and switches clothes with his dead opponent’s. He can thus pretend to be dead so he can take on Antiforo’s identity and fight Carlo. Malgigi, a paladin and a magician, helps him and makes the mark that all members of the French royal family wear appear on the dead man’s shoulder. In Soldanella, King Attamante is furious with the response given to his messenger. The two armies clash in battle, and Attamante and Cladinoro fight until nightfall. In his royal palace, Carlo Magno, full of sorrow after he offended his nephew Orlando, learns that he is dead. The king and all the paladins of France mourn the death of Orlando while Gano secretly rejoices. Aldabella recognizes Orlando thanks to the mark he wears on his right shoulder. She grieves for her late husband, and curses and condemns Carlo. Meanwhile, in Soldanella, the fight between Attamante and Cladinoro resumes. Attamante loses, and his men attack Cladinoro, as agreed before the duel. Cladinoro vanquishes them all and kills Attamante.

Rod and string marionette

Armed rod marionette

Not specified

Italy

Naples

Manuscript

Honour

Love

Grief

Seat

Duel

Treason

Dice game

Party

Cycle of performances

Epic

Italian

Paladin

Orlando

Paladin (female)

Bradamante

Marfisia

Knight

Moorish

Saracen

Roger

Renaud de Montauban

Charlemagne (King)

Traitor

Ganelon

Oliver

Ogier the Dane

Gandellino

Messenger

Warrior

Sorcerer

Wife

Widow

Aldabella

Shouts of acclamation in several voices

Aside

Crowd

Sword fight

Murder on stage

Slaps

Character thrown out of the scene

Disguised character (false identity)

Orlando e Rinaldo Parte prima Antiforo di Barosia

Orlando et Rinaldo first instalment Antiforo di Barosia

Martin is secretly in love with the beautiful Eleonora Lambriani, a mysterious dancer with a legendary reputation. However, he has already sworn his love to Sophie. When Martin prepares to leave in order to offer his life and his money to Eleonora, his cousin Cassian arrives at his house. Initially inconsolable because of the departure of her lover, Sophie changes from the virtuous girl to the woman expressing her desire for Cassian, then she elopes with him by jumping out of the window. Martin dies by the hand of Cassian, poor as a church mouse, as he has lost all his money in a dice game against Cassian.

Orlando e Rinaldo Parte prima Antiforo di Barosia

Der tapfere Cassian

Puppenspiel in einem Akt