From Tasso to Jean Cocteau, Renaud and Armide are one of those legendary couples whose story has enchanted, or horrified, Western thought. In Jerusalem Delivered, Torquato Tasso tells of the adventures of Renaud, King of France in the days of the Crusades with whom the Muslim magician Armide falls in love. The latter tries in vain to hold Renaud back by means of enchantments and by her various charms.
This story inspired many painters and musicians: Lully, Gluck, Handel, Vivaldi, Jomelli, Haydn, Rossini, Dvořák and the Florentine Antonio Sacchini. Becoming queen Marie Antoinette's favourite musician, Sacchini wrote several operas for the court, including this Renaud, based on a libretto by Abbé Pellegrin inspired by that of Quinault.
It is thanks to Christophe Rousset and the Bru Zane Foundation that today we can savour the resurrection of this forgotten work. Marie Kalinine shines particularly brightly here, as she skilfully portrays the rages and excesses of a particularly dramatic role. She is accompanied by a plethora of small and very well-executed roles that contribute to the excellence of this historical and musical excavation. © François Hudry/Qobuz