A slow-motion performance by the actor athletes and a cheeky burst of Vangelis’s unforgettable theme music introduce an appropriate — if amusingly irreverent — element of Chariots of Fire into Garsington Opera’s timely revival of Vivaldi’s rarely seen late work L’Olimpiade at Wormsley.

In the wacky world of baroque opera, we must not be surprised to find a woman — the exceptionally sweet-voiced American mezzo-soprano Emily Fons — in the role of the star male athlete, Megacle. Nor must we scoff when this bijou young man, second from the left in the picture, sees off all rivals on the running track. And this includes the well-muscled giant behind him, whom he also worsts in the boxing ring.

In place of a laurel wreath or gold medal, his prize is to be the hand of the lovely Aristea (Rosa Bove), the daughter of King Clistene (Riccardo Novarro), a one-man International Olympic Committee who has ruled that it shall be so. This might seem exceptionally good fortune for Megacle, since he is deeply in love with her and she with him. But inevitably there is a snag. As the opera audience already knows, the athlete is competing as a secret (and unwilling) proxy for the Cretan prince Licida (Tim Mead) to whom he ‘owes one’ for saving his life.

Liceda’s tutor Aminta (Michael Maniaci) sees trouble in this, as he informs us in a telling commentary on the action delivered in an astonishing and beautiful soprano voice. But the men’s pact is sealed. Poor Megacle, we think. And, as one of this opera’s many plangent tunes begin in the strings, we think he is going to sing all about it. But no. Licida surprises us with an aria in which he tells his now-kipping pal: “While you sleep may love sweeten your dreams with a vision of my pleasure.” So he’s not only a games cheat, but a self-absorbed cad.

The beautiful Argene (Ruby Hughes) could, and does, call him by other names. She considered herself betrothed to him before leaving Crete and disguising herself as a shepherdess, for a reason I never quite grasped, assuming we were ever told.

L’Olimpiade’s plot is as hard to follow as it is improbable — though not quite so baffling, admittedly, as that of Garsington’s 2011 Vivaldi, La veritã in cimento. As with that work, though, it possesses immense musical joys in melodies that to my ears rival the best in Handel. Written to a formula it all may be, to the extent that you think these heart-tugging tunes could succeed each other for ever; but this is a Formula One like.

I was sorry to read in the programme foreword by Garsington Opera’s chairman Anthony Whitworth-Jones that “L’Olimpiade will complete our exploration of [Vivaldi’s] operatic output”. I should have liked more.

Until June 29. Call 01865 361636 for information on returned tickets.