Suite d'Armide, ou Jérusalem délivrée

Suite d'Armide, ou Jérusalem délivrée is a 1712 French opera in a prologue and five acts by Duke Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, the future Regent of France. The libretto by the Baron de Longepierre was based on Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata, concerning the defeat of Saracen forces by Christian armies as described in Canto XIII..

The opera was performed in the Galerie des cerfs of the Château de Fontainebleau in June 2023, by the Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Cappella Mediterranea and soloists conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón.^[1] Philippe d’Orléans had already staged one opera with his music teacher Gervais in 1705, Penthée. Both the operas share atypical style and orchestration.^[2]

Roles

Herminie
Armide
La Voix de Clorinde
Une Suivante d'Armide
Une Nymphe
Renaud
Adraste
Alcaste
Un Vieux Berger
Vaffrin
Un Guerrier
Tancrède
Ismen
Tissapherne

Recording

Cappella Mediterranea directed by Leonardo García Alarcón.^[3]

References

^ La Jérusalem délivrée "In 1712, in the Galerie des Cerfs of the Château de Fontainebleau, the king's music performed a new work: La Jérusalem Délivrée, an opera composed by one of the most distinguished personalities of the kingdom, after the king himself: the Duc Philippe d'Orléans (future Regent of France). An informed musician, a pupil of Charpentier and Campra, he took Gervais as his music master from 1700 onwards: it was with his help that he composed three tragedies in music, including this Jerusalem, a "a continuation of Armide", in which we find two couples of knightly heroes Renaud and Armide, and Tancrède and Herminie, who had already inspired famous operas to Lully and Campra. A protector of the arts, Philippe d'Orléans also proved to be a true composer. "
^ "Philippe d’Orléans’ music master at the time was the composer Charles-Hubert Gervais, a remarkable musician who shared with his student a love of the Italian style. In 1705, with the help of Gervais, Philippe d’Orléans staged another opera at Palais-Royal called Penthée. Both works have much in common – first, they share a highly atypical style and orchestration, far divorced from the usual fare at the Académie Royale de Musique"
^ Robins, Brian. Review of Suite d'Armide, ou Jérusalem délivrée, by Philippe d'Orléans on Château de Versailles Spectacles label. Opera, March 2026, Vol. 77 No. 3, p.451-452.

[1] La Jérusalem délivrée "In 1712, in the Galerie des Cerfs of the Château de Fontainebleau, the king's music performed a new work: La Jérusalem Délivrée, an opera composed by one of the most distinguished personalities of the kingdom, after the king himself: the Duc Philippe d'Orléans (future Regent of France). An informed musician, a pupil of Charpentier and Campra, he took Gervais as his music master from 1700 onwards: it was with his help that he composed three tragedies in music, including this Jerusalem, a "a continuation of Armide", in which we find two couples of knightly heroes Renaud and Armide, and Tancrède and Herminie, who had already inspired famous operas to Lully and Campra. A protector of the arts, Philippe d'Orléans also proved to be a true composer. "

[2] "Philippe d’Orléans’ music master at the time was the composer Charles-Hubert Gervais, a remarkable musician who shared with his student a love of the Italian style. In 1705, with the help of Gervais, Philippe d’Orléans staged another opera at Palais-Royal called Penthée. Both works have much in common – first, they share a highly atypical style and orchestration, far divorced from the usual fare at the Académie Royale de Musique"

[3] Robins, Brian. Review of Suite d'Armide, ou Jérusalem délivrée, by Philippe d'Orléans on Château de Versailles Spectacles label. Opera, March 2026, Vol. 77 No. 3, p.451-452.

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