The premiere took place on 28 February 1783 at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris, with Sacchini's patron Queen Marie-Antoinette among the audience. The choreography was by Maximilien Gardel and the cast contained some of the stars of the Académie, including the haute-contreJoseph Legros and the sopranoRosalie Levasseur as Renaud and Armide. These would be the last roles they would play. Renaud marked Sacchini's debut at the Académie Royale. His friend Framery, a great admirer of Italian music, had persuaded him to move from London to Paris. Sacchini had also accumulated a lot of debts in London which made life difficult for him there. It was not the first time Sacchini had written an opera on a story taken from Tasso: he had set Jacopo Durandi's libretto Armida to music in Milan in 1772 and had reworked the opera, under the new title Rinaldo, for London in 1780. But the events in these operas merely serve as the background to the action of Renaud. The opera was a success, "thanks above all to Sacchini's score, which contains some superb passages" and was performed 51 times over the next two years. It was played another 76 times between 1789 and 1795 and finally enjoyed a brief revival in 1815. The opera had 130 performances all told before it left the repertoire for good.
Armide, Princess of Damascus and a sorceress, has fallen in love with the crusader Renaud. Armide uses her magic to make Renaud fall in love with her too. However, two of Renaud's fellow knights manage to find him and free him from the spell, allowing Renaud to take his place among the crusaders once again. The abandoned Armide is consumed with fury and desperation.
Act I
Renaud arrives at the camp of the Saracen King of Damascus, Armide's father, Hidraot, to offer peace to the Muslims if they will cede Jerusalem. Hidraot and his allies are ready to accept when the furious Armide bursts in on her chariot, accusing them of cowardice and promising her hand in marriage to whoever kills the treacherous Renaud. Once Renaud has left, Armide's followers vow to kill him and the act ends with the arrival of the warlike Amazons, in a ballet according to French operatic convention.
Armide, having calmed down, reveals that she is still in love with Renaud. But Antiope, Queen of the Amazons, announces that Armide's followers have laid an ambush for the crusader. Armide rushes to his aid. Although she fails to persuade him to love her again, she succeeds in warning him of the trap the Saracen chiefs are planning. Hidraot arrives and rebukes Armide for giving in to her love for Renaud; the crusader has been causing carnage in the Muslim camp. Armide uses her magic to conjure up the Furies, but they are held back by a mysterious higher power. Hidraot disowns his daughter and returns to the camp, intending either to kill Renaud, or "to perish by his blows".
Act 3
The battle is over and Armide searches for her father in vain, but finds Adraste, King of India, still breathing. Adraste blames Armide's double-dealing for his death and Hidraot's impending slaughter at the hands of Renaud. Armide prays to heaven to strike her down and save her father and, when she hears that Hidraot has been bound in chains to the chariot of the victorious Renaud, she decides to kill herself. Renaud enters and tries to stop her. She is only reassured when her father arrives and tells her that he owes his life to the crusader. Armide and Renaud are reconciled and free at last to declare their love for one another. The scene magically changes to a magnificent palace and the opera ends with a ballet général.
Armide's Act 2 aria was recorded by Véronique Gens on the albumTragédiennes 2, accompanied by the orchestra Les Talens Lyriques conducted by Christophe Rousset. The Italianate aria of a coryphée was recorded by Sandrine Piau on the album Le triomphe de l'amour, accompanied by the orchestra Les Paladins conducted by Jérôme Corréas.
