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Armida al campo d'Egitto is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Giovanni Palazzo.
The 'dramma per musica' 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 fifty operas whose themes derive in varying degrees from the story of Rinaldo and Armida in Torquato Tasso's epic poem "La Gerusalemme liberata".
Unlike the more than fifty operas based on the romance of Rinaldo and Armida, Vivaldi's version starts during previous events before the war against the Crusaders, and thus, Rinaldo is not even mentioned!
Armida was revived for the Carnival season of 1738, with much of the music rewritten, and arias by Leonardo Leo added.
The act II of the original version of the opera is now lost.
Premiere cast
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:
Armida al campo d'Egitto (Concerto Italiano; Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor). Label: Naïve OP30492. (2010)
The overture to Armida al campo d'Egitto can be heard on:
Vivaldi: Opera Overtures (I Solisti Veneti; Claudio Scimone, conductor). Label: Apex 2564605372.
Two arias from the work, Invan la mia pietà tenta l'ingrato and Chi alla colpa fà tragitto, can be heard on:
Vivaldi: Arie Per Basso (Lorenzo Regazzo, bass; Concerto Italiano; Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor). Label: Naive 30415.
[edit] References
1.^ Jellinek, George (1994) p.,. 354
2.^ Libretti a stampa: Armida al campo d'Egitto, www.italianopera.org. Accessed 30 September 2008
Booth, John (1989) Vivaldi, Omnibus Press, p. 71. ISBN 0-7119-1727-2
Jellinek, George (1994) History Through the Opera Glass: From the Rise of Caesar to the Fall of Napoleon, Pro/Am Music Resources, p. 354. ISBN 0-912483-90-3
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