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Armida is an opera by Antonín Dvořák in four acts, set to a libretto by Jaroslav Vrchlický that was...

Armida is an opera by Antonín Dvořák in four acts, set to a libretto by Jaroslav Vrchlický that was originally based on Torquato Tasso's epic Gerusalemme liberata. Dvorak's opera was first performed at Prague's National Theatre on 25 March 1904; the score was published as opus 115 in 1941. In terms of genre, Armida represents the culmination of Dvorak's experimentation with a Wagnerian style of opera composition, though much of the music belongs to Dvorak's own genre. Vrchlický's libretto is strongly reminiscent of that which Quinault wrote for Jean-Baptiste Lully in their opera of the same name. In the royal gardens of Damascus the call to prayer is heard. Ismen enters with news of the approaching Franks, but tries to dissuade the King from a confrontation: let him instead send his daughter (whose hand Ismen has been seeking) to sow dissention. She balks, but changes her mind when Ismen uses his magic to show her the enemy camp, recognizing Rinald as the knight she has just dreamed of. Armida arrives in the crusader's camp and meets Rinald, who brings her to into the council where she tells a story of an usurping uncle having blinded the king and chased her into the desert. Rinald