Tancrède

"Tancrède" is an operatic tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts by André Campra, The French text was by Antoine Danchet based on "Gerusalemme liberata" by Torquato Tasso.

The opera contains 23 dances in addition to the singing, but it is famous for the first contralto role in French opera (though in modern terms more of a mezzo-soprano range) written for Julie d'Aubigny, known as 'La Maupin', the most colorful singer of this ("or any other") era. It's also notable for the unusual choice of three low-lying voices for the main male parts.

Performance history

"Tancrède" was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 7 November, 1702 under the direction of Marin Marais. It was successful and remained in the repertoire until the 1760s.

Roles

ources

*Anthony, James R (1992), 'Tancrède' in "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
* [http://www.amadeusonline.net/almanacco.php?Start=0&Giorno=7&Mese=11&Anno=1702&Giornata=&Testo=&Parola=Stringa Amadeus Almanac]

External links

* [http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/vrbr/browse/tancrede-1702-andre-campra University of Texas page]

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