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.
Despite there already being an incredibly successful and popular opera to Phillipe Quinault’s libretto, written by the popular French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, that did not deter German composer, Christoph Willibald Gluck, from producing his own setting of this French text. With its premier 90 years after Lully’s, Gluck’s work was surprisingly successful, and brought this popular story into the newly developed conventions of the operatic world in the 18th century.
Show Information
- 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
- 5
- First Produced
- 1777
- Genres
- Tragedy, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Crusades, Damascus, First Crusade, Medieval Period, 11th century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Opera, 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 |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, Contralto |
Songs
- Overture
Act One
Scene 1
- ‘Dans un jour de triomphe’ - Armide, Phenice, Sidonie
Scene 2
- ‘Armide, que le sang’ - Armide, Hidraot
Scene 3
- ‘Armide est encore plus aimable’ - Phénice, Sidonie, Chorus
Scene 4
- ‘O Ciel! O disgrace cruelle’ - Aronte, Armide, Hidraot
- ‘Poursuivons jusqu’au trépas’ - Aronte, Armide, Hidraot, Phénice, Sidonie, Chorus
Act Two
Scene 1
- ‘Invincible Heros, c’est par vostre courage’ - Artémidore, Renaud
Scene 2
- ‘Arretons-nous ici, c’est dans ce lieu fatal’ - Armide, Hidraot
Scene 3
- ‘Plus j'observe ces lieux’ - Renaud
Scene 4
- ‘Au temps heureux où l’on sait plaire’ - Naiade
- ‘Ah! Quelle erreur’ - Chorus
- Ballet
- ‘On s'étonnerait moin que la saison nouvelle’ - Naiade
- ‘Ah! Quelle erreur’ - Chorus
Scene 5
- ‘Enfin il est en ma puissance’ - Armide
Act Three
Scene 1
- ‘Ah! Si la liberté’ - Armide
Scene 2
- ‘Que ne peut point votre art?’ - Armide, Phenice, Sidonie
Scene 3
Scene 4
- ‘Je reponds a tes voeux’ - La Haine, Chorus
- ‘Plus on connait l’amour, ’ - La Haine, Chorus
- Dance of the Furies
- ‘Sors, sors du sain d’Armide, Amour, brise ta chaine’ - La Haine, Armide
Act Four
Scene 1
- ‘Nous ne trouvons partout’ - Ubalde, Le Chevalier Danois
Scene 2
- ‘Voici la charmante Retraite’ - Lucinde, Chorus
- Ballet
- ‘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 détournez’ - Melisse, Ubalde, Le Chevalier Danois
Act Five
Scene 1
- ‘Armide! Vous m’allez quitter?’ - Armide, Renaud Ballet-Chaconne
Scene 2
- ‘Les plaisirs ont choisi pour asile’ - Chorus Ballet
- ‘Allez, éloignez-vous de moi’ - Renaud
Scene 3
- ‘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
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.