Bologna Teatro Comunale Orchestra & Chorus
CD 1
1 Sinfonia 5.55
Atto primo · Act One · Acte un · Erster Akt
Scena I · Scene 1 · Scène 1 · 1. Szene
N.1 Introduzione:
2 Lieto, ridente oltre l’usato, in oriente si mostra il dì Paladini 2.55
3 Ah! no: sia questo di tregua il giorno Goffredo 2.00
4 Arditi, all’ire farem ritorno Paladini, Goffredo 3.51
5 Recitativo: Sì, guerrieri, fian sacre all’estinto Dudon le nostre cure 0.48
Goffredo
Scena II · Scene 2 · Scène 2 · 2. Szene
N.2 Recitativo e Coro:
6 Germano, a te richiede donna real, piangente, or di venirti al piede …
Suol di virtude Eustazio, Goffredo, paladini
Scena III · Scene 3 · Scène 3 · 3. Szene
Quell’astro matutino Guerrieri, Damasceni 2.02
7 Recitativo: Signor, tanto il tuo nome ovunque suona 3.14
Armida, Goffredo, Idraote, Eustazio
N.3 Quartetto:
8 Sventurata! or che mi resta se pietà non trovo in te? 4.03
Armida, Goffredo, Idraote, Eustazio, paladini
9 Or che farò? Ceder dovrò? Goffredo, Armida, Eustazio, Idraote, paladini 2.39
10 German, se togli al campo breve drappel di noi 1.28
Eustazio, Idraote, Goffredo, Armida, paladini
11 Per me propizio il fato rallenta il suo rigore 2.51
Armida, Eustazio, Idraote, Goffredo, paladini
12 Recitativo: Cedei, guerrieri, è ver Goffredo 1.32
Scena IV · Scene 4 · Scène 4 · 4. Szene
13 Recitativo: Opportuna è la scelta Eustazio, Gernando, Armida, Idraote 1.52
Scena V · Scene 5 · Scène 5 · 5. Szene
Recitativo: Oh sorte infida! Gernando
N.4 Aria:
14 Non soffrirò l’offesa! Gernando 2.04
15 E questi son gli allori dovuti a' miei sudori? Gernando 1.06
16 Viva Rinaldo! Paladini, soldati franchi, Gernando 3.21
Scena VI · Scene 6 · Scène 6 · 6. Szene
17 Recitativo: Sorte ci arride Idraote, Armida 1.19
Scena VII · Scene 7 · Scène 7 · 7. Szene
18 Recitativo: Principessa, sei tu! Rinaldo, Armida 4.26
N.5 Duetto:
19 Amor… Possente nome! Rinaldo, Armida 3.57
20 Vacilla a quegli accenti, manca la mia costanza Rinaldo, Armida 3.38
21 Ah! non poss’io resistere Rinaldo, Armida 3.15
Scena VIII · Scene 8 · Scène 8 · 8. Szene
22 Recitativo: Ecco il guerriero, il duce Gernando, paladini
Scena IX · Scene 9 · Scène 9 · 9. Szene
Recitativo: Il nome mio! Rinaldo, Gernando, paladini 2.38
Finale I:
23 Se pari agli accenti hai l’anima audace Rinaldo, Gernando
Scena X · Scene 10 · Scène 10 · 10. Szene
Fermate… — Sgombrate Paladini, guerrieri, Rinaldo, Armida, Gernando
Scena XI · Scene 11 · Scène 11 · 11. Szene
Muori… — Oh colpo! Rinaldo, Armida, paladini, guerrieri 3.15
24 Che terribile momento! Armida, paladini, guerrieri
Scena XII · Scene 12 · Scène 12 · 12. Szene
Ah! paventa… — Qui l’attendo Armida, Rinaldo 2.52
25 Deh! se cara a te son io, non espor sì bella vita Armida, Rinaldo 2.27
Scena XIII · Scene 13 · Scène 13 · 13. Szene
26 Vieni, o duce, punisci l’errore 1.38
Paladini, guerrieri, Armida, Goffredo, Rinaldo
27 Amica la sorte mi porge il suo crine/Un astro di sangue dall’etra s’affacia 4.22
Armida, Rinaldo, Goffredo, paladini, guerrieri
CD 2
Atto secondo · Act Two · Acte deux · Zweiter Akt
Scena I · Scene 1 · Scène 1 · 1. Szene
1 N.7 Coro: Alla voce d’Armida possente Demoni, Astarotte 5.07
2 Recitativo: Sovr’umano potere, Numi del tetro abisso, or qui ci chiama 1.58
Astarotte
3 N.8 Coro: Di ferro e fiamme cinti Demoni, Astarotte 2.50
Scena II · Scene 2 · Scène 2 · 2. Szene
4 N.9 Duetto: Dove son io!… — Al fianco mio Rinaldo, Armida 6.25
5 Recitativo: Mio ben, questa che premi della Fortuna è l’isola nomata 1.24
Armida, Rinaldo
N.10 Finale II:
6 No; d’Amor la reggia è questa Armida, Rinaldo, larve 0.33
7 Canzoni amorose, carole festose Larve 3.18
8 D’Amore al dolce impero natura ognor soggiace Armida, larve 6.36
Ballo:
9 Marziale 2.17
10 Andante 4.16
11 Allegro moderato 4.18
12 Vivace
Tutto spira d’Armida all’aspetto Larve 5.00
CD 3
Atto terzo · Act Three · Acte trois · Dritter Akt
Scena I · Scene 1 · Scène 1 · 1. Szene
1 N.11 Duetto: Come l’aurette placide spiran fra l’erbe e i fiori! Ubaldo, Carlo 6.20
2 Recitativo: Oh quanto, amico, d’Ascalona al saggio tenuti siam! 1.08
Ubaldo, Carlo
3 Recitativo: T’inganni. A noi sen viene stuol di ninfe Ubaldo, Carlo
Scena II · Scene 2 · Scène 2 · 2. Szene
N.12 Coro di ninfe: Qui tutto è calma Larve 3.36
4 Recitativo: Fuggite, inferni mostri Ubaldo
Scena III · Scene 3 · Scène 3 · 3. Szene
Nuovo portento! Carlo, Ubaldo 1.57
Scena IV · Scene 4 · Scène 4 · 4. Szene
5 N.13 Duetto: Soavi catene, se amore v’ordi Armida, Rinaldo 4.23
6 Recitativo: O mio Rinaldo, ammira quest’ameno soggiorno
Armida, Rinaldo
Scena V · Scene 5 · Scène 5 · 5. Szene
Recitativo: Lo splendor di que’ rai se un sol istante io perdo Rinaldo 3.05
Scena VI · Scene 6 · Scène 6 · 6. Szene
7 Amico, inolta il piè — Cielo!… chi vedo! Ubaldo, Rinaldo, Carlo 2.14
N.14 Terzetto:
8 In quale aspetto imbelle io me ravviso, oh stelle! Rinaldo, Carlo, Ubaldo 3.32
9 Vedi qual reo governo di te fa un empio affetto Ubaldo, Carlo, Rinaldo 3.07
10 Unitevi a gara virtude, valore Rinaldo, Ubaldo, Carlo 2.51
Scena VII · Scene 7 · Scène 7 · 7. Szene
11 Recitativo: Dov’è?… dove si cela? Armida 2.59
Scena VIII · Scene 8 · Scène 8 · 8. Szene
12 Recitativo: Sia lode al ciel, da quelle inique mura uscimmo al fin 1.26
Ubaldo, Carlo, Rinaldo, Armida
Scena IX · Scene 9 · Scène 9 · 9. Szene
13 Recitativo: Ed è pur vero?… e abbandonarmi vuoi? 3.11
Armida, Rinaldo, Ubaldo, Carlo
Finale III:
14 Se al mio crudel tormento segno di duol non dai 6.02
Armida, Rinaldo, Ubaldo, Carlo
Scena X · Scene 10 · Scène 10 · 10. Szene
15 Dove son io!… Fuggì! Armida 5.05
16 È ver… gode quest’anima in te, fatal vendetta Armida
Scena XI · Scene 11 · Scène 11 · 11. Szene
Paga sarai — Distrutto tutto qui resti Demoni, Armida 2.41
SYNOPSIS
Under the command of Goffredo (Godfrey of Bouillon) the Christian army besieges the city of Jerusalem. Idraote, King of Damascus, and his niece the sorceress Armida determine to prevent the victory of the Cursaders by means of a ruse: Armida is to beg for Goffredo’s aid in the struggle against her uncle who, so she alleges, has usurped the throne from her. In this way they hope to weaken the Christian army’s war effort.
The sorceress loves the Frankish knight Rinaldo, who is fighting on teh Crusaders’ side; she once rescued him from his enemies when he lost his way.
Act One
The Crusaders’ camp
CD 1 1–5 At dawn Goffredo calls the paladins together. Before they continue the struggle, they are to pay a last tribute to Dudone, the dead leader of the Franks. 6 Eustazio, Goffredo’s brother, announces Armida’s arrival. She comes escorted by her retinue and Idraote in disguise. 7–11 Armida throws herself at Goffredo’s feet and entreats him to give her the protection of some of his soldiers. They must help her to win back the usurped throne. Goffredo says that he will only help her after capturing Jerusalem, but Eustazio and the paladins, who are dazzled by Armida’s beauty, make him change his mind againsst his better judgment. Armida and Idraote have won the first move.
12 Goffredo invites the Franks to elect a new leader, who will then have to select the ten soldiers requested by Armida. 13 –16 The choice falls upon Rinaldo. Gernando, a Frankish paladin who himself hoped for the post, is mad with rage and swears to be revenged.
17Idraote sees the fulfilment of his revenge on the Christians drawing nearer. Now Armida must tempt Rinaldo under her spell again, but she hesitates, for she loves the paladin. 18 –21 Rinaldo appears and Armida reminds him of their last meeting. She reproaches him for being so ungrateful to her as to refuse to fight for her after she once saved him. Rinaldo refers to his duty as a Christian knight; the liberation of Jerusalem must be his most important objective. But when she insinuates that he scorns her love, he yields to the sorceress, confesses his love for her and will go with her.
22 When both decide to leave the camp, Rinaldo hears Gernando calling him a ladies’ man and accusing him of cowardice. 23 –25 Enraged, he challenges Gernando to a duel and kills him. 26–27 Goffredo, who learns of the deed, wants to have Rinaldo arrested, but he escapes with Armida.
Act Two A dark wood
CD 2 1–3 Astarotte and his troop of demons emerge from the underworld. They aim to support Armida in the struggle against the Christians. Astarotte tells them that the sorceress has the knight completely under her spell. They vanish.
4 Armida and Rinaldo float down on a cloud. 5 She confesses to him that she lied to Goffredo, but only with the intention of seeing Rinaldo again. The infatuated knight forgives her. 6 The sorceress transforms the inhospitable place into a magnificent palace, which is graced by a company of nymphs and little cupids. 7–12 They praise Armida’s might and the power of Love in song and dance. This is also the theme of a vision in which a young warrior succumbs to Love and allows his weapons to be taken from him and replaced by garlands of flowers.
Act Three
An enchanted garden
CD 3 1–2 Carlo and Ubaldo, two Frankish paladins, enter. They have been ordered to release Rinaldo from Armida‘s spell. Goffredo has pardoned the knight at his uncle’s behest. The two paladins have thwarted Armida’s power with a magic wand and invaded her garden. 3 They also resist attempts by the nymphs to seduce them.
5–6 When Armida and Rinaldo reappear, the knights hide. Both lovers swear to be true to each other. Armida has to leave Rinaldo for a short time, 7 and Ubaldo and Carlo seize the opportunity to talk to him. They reproach him mercilessly and call him a coward. Love and honour conflict in Rinaldo’s breast, 8–10 but as soon as the paladins show him his reflection in a polished shield, he realises how shamefully he has behaved. Now he will join them.
11 Armida returns, but Rinaldo has gone. She tries to stop him in his tracks by magic, but her powers are of no avail. 12 –14 She overtakes the knights, who thought they had managed to escape, and implores Rinaldo to let her follow him into battle either as a lowly servant or a page, but Rinaldo still insists on leaving her. Armida falls senselss. As Rinaldo hesitates, Carlo and Ubaldo take him away forcibly.
15 Armida comes to. She wavers between Revenge and Love, both of whom appear to her as personified visions. 16 She finally decides that revenge is the choice which appeals to her most and orders her followers to destroy the place while she herself flies away in her dragon-drawn chariot.
Katharina Schmidt Translation: © 1994 Gwyn Morris