Ariodante is an opera seria in three acts with music by George Frideric Handel. The libretto was based on parts of Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. Handel put some ballet music in the opera for the famous dancer Marie Sallé.
The opera was first performed in the Covent Garden Theatre, London, on 8 January 1735. It opened Handel's first season at Covent Garden. It was a great success. It was performed 11 times during its premiere season.
It eventually was forgotten. The score was published in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, the work was revived. It is thought to be one of Handel's best operas.