Tancrède
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{{For|the opera with the same lead character by Gioachino Rossini|Tancredi}}{{Italic title}}
File:André_Campra.jpg]]Tancrède is a 1702 tragédie en musique (a French opera in the lyric tragedy tradition) 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. It is famous for having the alleged first contralto role in French opera. (However, in modern terms it is considered more of a mezzo-soprano range.) The role was written for Julie d'Aubigny, known as 'La Maupin', the most colorful singer of this era.The part of Clorinde is notated in the soprano clef ([http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9058774w/f130.image.r=Tancr%C3%A8de%201702.langEN original score, p. 71]), but, although it never descends below d′, tradition has it that it was the first major bas-dessus (contralto) role in the French opera history (Sadie, Julie Anne, Maupin, in Sadie, Stanley (ed), op. cit., III, p. 274). 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
| class="wikitable"
!Role !Voice type !Premiere Cast, 7 November 1702According to [http://operabaroque.fr/Cadre_baroque.htm Le magazine de l'opéra baroque] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301014708/http://operabaroque.fr/Cadre_baroque.htm |date=2014-03-01 }}. |
| A sage enchanter/A warrior
|Jacques Cochereau |
| Peace
|Mlle Clément L. |
| Followers of Peace
|sopranos |Mlles Clément P. and Loignon |
| Tancrède, a crusader |
| Argante, Saracen leader
|bass-baritone |
| Clorinde, Saracen princess
|Julie d'Aubigny (La Maupin) |
| Herminie, daughter of the king of Antioch
|soprano |
| Ismenor, Saracen magician
|bass-baritone |Jean Dun "père" |
| Female warriors
|sopranos |Mlles Dupeyré, Lallemand and Loignon |
| A sylvan
|haute-contre |Jean Boutelou |
| Two dryads
|sopranos |Mlles Loignon and Bataille |
| A nymph
|soprano |Mlle Dupeyré |
| Vengeance
|Claude Desvoyes |
References
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;Sources
- Original printed score: Tancrede , tragedie, mise en musique par Monsieur Campra. Représentée pour la premiere fois par l'Academie royale de musique le septiéme jour de novembre 1702, Paris, Ballard, 1702 (accessible for free online at [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9058774w/f2.image.r=Tancr%C3%A8de%201702.langEN Gallica - B.N.F.])
- Anthony, James R (1992), 'Tancrède' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) {{ISBN|0-333-73432-7}}
- {{Almanacco|dmy=07-11-1702|match=Tancrède}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140301014708/http://operabaroque.fr/Cadre_baroque.htm Le magazine de l'opéra baroque], page: Tancrède
External links
{{Commons category|Tancrède (Campra)}}
- [http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/vrbr/browse/tancrede-1702-andre-campra University of Texas page]
{{Jerusalem Delivered}}
{{André Campra}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tancrede}}
Category:Operas by André Campra
Category:French-language operas
Category:Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera