Sunday, 11/17/2024
at 4:00 PM



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"Armida" was premiered in 1784 at the princely theater in Eszterháza. Contemporaries considered this opera seria to be Haydn's best stage work. The subject is taken from the epic poem "Jerusalem Delivered" by Torquato Tasso and takes place during the First Crusade. The sorceress Armida has manipulated the crusader Rinaldo with magical powers at the behest of the ruling king in Damascus, her uncle. Captivated by Armida's spell, Rinaldo is ready to lead the army of heathens against his own co-religionists. However, Armida falls in love with Rinaldo and fears for his death on the battlefield. Through his friend, the crusader Ubaldo, Rinaldo remembers his duties and is torn between his love for Armida and the awakening of his mission. Haydn's surprisingly dramatic musical portrayal of extreme expressions of emotions between love and hate makes the work an emotionally charged chamber play about human passions.

Co-production with the Kammerakademie Potsdam

Konrad Junghänel, conductor
Björn Reinke, director
Sibylle Gädicke, set design

Event data provided by: Reservix