Armida al campo d'Egitto

Armida al campo d'Egitto is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Giovanni Palazzo. It was first performed during the Carnival season of 1718 at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice. Vivaldi's version is different from the more than 50 operas whose themes derive in varying degrees from the story of Rinaldo and Armida in Torquato Tasso's epic poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered).[1] Unlike the more than 50 operas based on the romance of Rinaldo and Armida, Vivaldi's version starts during previous events before the war against the Crusaders. Armida was revived for the Carnival season of 1738, with much of the music rewritten, and arias by Leonardo Leo added. Act II of the original version of the opera is now lost.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast[2]
Armida, a royal princess contralto Antonia Merighi
Califfo, King of Egypt bass Annibale Imperatori
Tisaferno contralto castrato Francesco Braganti
Adrasto contralto Costanza Maccari
Emireno, a general contralto castrato Francesco Natali
Erminia, a royal princess soprano Chiara Orlandi
Osmira, Califfo's niece soprano Rosa Venturini

Recordings

Complete recording with a restored version of Act II:

The overture to Armida al campo d'Egitto can be heard on:

Two arias from the work, Invan la mia pietà tenta l'ingrato and Chi alla colpa fà tragitto, can be heard on:

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Jellinek, George (1994) p.,. 354
  2. ↑ Libretti a stampa: Armida al campo d'Egitto, www.italianopera.org. Accessed 30 September 2008

Sources