- Armida (Haydn)
Armida, Hob. 28/12, is an opera in three acts by
Joseph Haydn , set to a libretto based uponTorquato Tasso 's poem "Gerusalemme liberata" ("Jerusalem Delivered "). The first performance was in 1784. The opera received 54 performances from 1784 to 1788 at the Esterháza Court Theatre, and during the composer's lifetime also was performed inBratislava ,Budapest ,Turin andVienna . Haydn himself regarded "Armida" as his finest opera. [Lang, Paul Henry, "Haydn and the Opera" (April 1932). "The Musical Quarterly", 18 (2): pp. 274–281.] "Armida" then disappeared from the general operatic repertoire, and in the 20th century was revived in 1968 in a concert rendition inCologne , and later a production in Bern.cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/18/1/110 | last=Graeme | first=Roland | title="Armida". Joseph Haydn | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=18 | issue=1 | pages=110–114 | date=2002 | accessdate=2007-09-27 | doi=10.1093/oq/18.1.110]Karl Geiringer has commented on how Haydn adopted the "principles and methods" of
Christoph Willibald Gluck in this opera, and how the opera's overture alone encapsulates the opera's plot in purely instrumental terms. [Geiringer, Karl, "Haydn as an Opera Composer" (1939–1940). "Proceedings of the Musical Association", 66th Sess.: pp. 23–32.]Roles
The work is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns/trumpets, timpani, strings, continuo.
elected recordings
* Philips 6769 021:
Jessye Norman , Claes J. Ahnsjö, Norma Burrowes,Samuel Ramey , Robin Leggate, Anthony Rolfe Johnson; Lausanne Chamber Orchestra;Antal Doráti , conductor
* Teldec 81108-2:Cecilia Bartoli ,Christoph Prégardien , Patricia Petibon, Oliver Widmer, Scot Weir, Markus Schäfer;Concentus Musicus Wien ;Nikolaus Harnoncourt , conductorReferences
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