Overview
Synopsis
After victoriously defeating the armies of King Godefroi of Jerusalem using only her magic power, Armide is still not satisfied. She will not be satisfied until one of her enemy's knights, Renaud, is finally defeated. But there is something about Renaud that unsettles this powerful and controlling Princess of Damascus. Armide knows she hates Renaud with every ounce of hatred she can muster, but somewhere inside her the smallest flame of love burns.
Armide captures Renaud while he is asleep, but as she raises the knife to execute him, her hand is stopped. The love she feels overwhelms her, and she cannot bear to harm him. Instead, she steals Renaud away to an enchanted palace on the other side of the world to try and come to terms with how she feels. She knows that she should hate him, so she summons La Haine, hatred herself, to replenish her own capacity for hatred. Even La Haine cannot overcome the love that has filled Armide’s heart, and curses her to be forever controlled by this love.
Two valiant knights brave the monsters and enchantments of Armide’s desert to find the palace and rescue Renaud. They call him back to serve the glory they fight for, and Renaud gratefully accepts. Without her hatred, Armide has no power to stop Renaud leaving. She will remain in her palace, still desperately loving him, until it finally defeats her.
Lully’s Armide is considered by many to be one of the best examples of early French baroque opera, in a genre known as tragedie en musique.
Show Information
- Music
- Jean-Baptiste Lully
- Libretto
- Philippe Quinault
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Torquato Tasso's poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered)
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1686
- Genres
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Fantasy/Imaginary
- Time & Place
- Crusades, First Crusade, Damascus, Medieval Period, 11th Century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, College/University, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass-Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Baritone, Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Author’s Note: Due to the age of this opera, many of the French spellings are archaic. These have been preserved in the breakdown below for clarity.
Prologue
Overture
- ‘Tout doit céder dans l'Univers’ - La Gloire, La Sagesse, Chorus
- ‘D'une ésgale tendresse’ - La Gloire, La Sagesse, Chorus
- Entrée
- Menuet
- Gavotte
- ‘Suivons nostre Héros, que rien ne nous sépare’ - La Gloire, La Sagesse, Chorus
- Entree
- Menuet
- ‘Que dans le Temple de Memoire’ - Chorus
Act 1
Scene 1
- ‘Dans un jour de triomphe’ - Armide, Phenice, Sidonie
Scene 2
- ‘Armide, que le sang’ - Armide, Hidraot
Scene 3
- Entree
- ‘Armide est encor plus aymable’ - Hidraot, Chorus
- Sarabande
- ‘Suivons Armide and chantons sa Victoire’ - Phénice, Chorus
- Sarabande
- ‘Que la douceur d’un triomphe est extrême’ - Sidonie, Chorus
Scene 4
- ‘O Ciel! O disgrace cruelle’ - Aronte, Armide, Hidraot
- Poursuivons jusqu’au trépas’ - Armide, Hidraot, Chorus
- Entr’acte
Act 2
Scene 1
- ‘Invincible Heros, c’est par vostre courage’ - Artémidore, Renaud
Scene 2
- ‘Arrestons-nous icy, c’est dans ce lieu fatal’ - Armide, Hidraot
Scene 3
Scene 4
- ‘Au temps heureux où l’on sait plaire’ - La Nymphe
- ‘Ah! Quelle erreur’ - Chorus
- First Air
- Second Air
- ‘On s'éstonnerait moin que la saison nouvelle’ - Une Bergère Héroïque
- ‘Laissons au tendre amour’ - La Bergère
- ‘Ah! Quelle erreur’ - Chorus
Scene 5
- ‘Enfin il est en ma puissance’ - Armide Entr’acte
Act 3
Scene 1
- ‘Ah! Si la liberte me doit’ - Armide
Scene 2
- ‘Que ne peut point vostre art?’ - Armide, Phenice, Sidonie
Scene 3
- ‘Venez, venez, Haine implacable’ - Armide
Scene 4
- ‘Je responds a tes voeux’ - La Haine, Chorus
- Interlude
- ‘Amour, sors pour jamais’ - La Haine, Chorus
- Air
- ‘Sors, sors du sain d’Armide, Amour, brise ta chaine’ - La Haine, Armide
- Entr’acte
Act 4
Scene 1
- ‘Nous ne trouvons par tout que des Gouffres ouverts’ - Ubalde, Le Chavalier Danois
- Air
Scene 2
- ‘Voicy la charmante Retraite’ - Lucinde, Chorus
- Gavotte
- Canaries
- ‘Allons, qui vous retient encore?’ - Lucinde, Le Chevalier Danois, Ubalde
Scene 3
- ‘Je tourne en vain les yeux’ - Le Chevalier Danois, Ubalde
Scene 4
- ‘D'où vient que vous, vous destournez’ - Melisse, Ubalde, Le Chevalier Danois
- Entr’acte
Act 5
Scene 1
- ‘Armide, vous m’allez quitter’ - Armide, Renaud
Scene 2
- Passacaille
- ‘Les plaisirs ont choisi pour azile’ - Un amante fortuné, Chorus
- ‘Allez, éloignez-vous de moy’ - Renaud
Scene 3
- Prelude
- ‘Il est seul’ - Renaud, Ubalde, Le Chevalier Danois
Scene 4
- ‘Renaud? Ciel! O mortelle peine!’ - Armide, Renaud, Le Chevalier Danois, Ubalde
Scene 5
- ‘Le perfide Renaud me fuit’ - Armide
- Prelude
- Air
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.