Tancrède


Tancrède is a 1702 tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts by composer André Campra and librettist Antoine Danchet, based on Gerusalemme liberata by Torquato Tasso.
The opera contains 23 dances in addition to the singing, but is famous for the alleged first contralto role in French opera written for Julie d'Aubigny, known as 'La Maupin', the most colorful singer of this era, or any other. It's also notable for the unusual choice of three low-lying voices for the main male parts.

Performance history

Tancrède was first performed on 7 November 1702 by the Académie Royale de Musique at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris under the direction of Marin Marais. It was successful and remained in the repertoire until the 1760s.

Roles