Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s set against the background of the medieval

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

can be found in the earliest examples of the art form and continue to be written into the 21st century. Many of the works listed here contain characters and plots based on real or legendary figures of the time such as

Tancred, Prince of Galilee Tancred (1075 – December 5 or December 12, 1112) was an Italo- Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch. Tancred came from the house of Hauteville and was the great-grandson ...

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...

Jaufre Rudel Jaufre Rudel (Jaufré in modern Occitan) was the Prince of Blaye (''Princes de Blaia'') and a troubadour of the early- to mid-12th century, who probably died during the Second Crusade, in or after 1147. He is noted for developing the theme of "lo ...

. The majority are set, at least in part, in the Holy Land and the surrounding region and deal with the conflicts between the

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

and

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

. Others, such as

Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera style duri ...

's ''

Gabriella di Vergy ''Gabriella di Vergy'' is an opera seria in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti written in 1826 and revised in 1838, from a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, which was based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' (1777) by Dormont De Belloy. Prior ...

'', deal with the misadventures of knights returning from the Crusades. In the case of ''Gabriella di Vergy'', Raoul de Coucy returns from the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

to find that his beloved Gabriella has married Lord Fayel. Following a duel, Fayel cuts out the heart of the unfortunate Raoul and presents it in an urn to Gabriella. The only comedy in the list, Rossini's ''

Le comte Ory ''Le comte Ory'' (''Count Ory'') is a comic opera written by Gioachino Rossini in 1828. Some of the music originates from his opera '' Il viaggio a Reims'' written three years earlier for the coronation of Charles X. The French libretto was by Eug ...

'', recounts the attempts by Ory and his friends to seduce the Countess of Formoutiers and the women of her household while their men are away at the Crusades. Ory's ploy of dressing up as nuns to gain access to the women is foiled when the Crusaders return. Many of the

libretti A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major l ...

for the operas listed are based either directly or indirectly on

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' ( Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

, ''

La Gerusalemme liberata ''Jerusalem Delivered'', also known as ''The Liberation of Jerusalem'' ( it, La Gerusalemme liberata ; ), is an epic poem by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso, first published in 1581, that tells a largely mythified version of the First Crusade i ...

'' (''Jerusalem Delivered''), or on

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

tragic Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy i ...

play, ''

Zaïre Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...

''.

Literary sources

's 1581 epic poem ''

'' and

's 1732 play, ''

'' were the sources for the majority of operas in this list and are described in more detail below. Other literary works which have served as the basis for operas on the Crusades include: 1735 mock epic poem, ''Il Ricciardetto''; Dormont De Belloy's 1777 play, ''Gabrielle de Vergy''; Jean-Antoine-Marie Monperlier's 1813 play ''Les Chevaliers de Malte'' (The Knights of Malta);

August von Kotzebue August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (; – ) was a German dramatist and writer who also worked as a consul in Russia and Germany. In 1817, one of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl L ...

's 1820 play ''Die Kreuzfahrer'' (The Crusaders);

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

's 1825 novel, '' The Talisman''; and Tommaso Grossi's 1826 epic poem ''I Lombardi alla prima crociata'' (The Lombards in the First Crusade).

Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata''

At least one hundred operas have been inspired by Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' (''Jerusalem Delivered''). He began writing it while still a schoolboy and finished it in 1575 when he was thirty. The first complete editions were published in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

and Ferrara in 1581. The main characters are a mixture of historical figures and ones invented by Tasso. Of the poem's main characters below, the invented Rinaldo and Armida, are the most frequent operatic characters. Their love story, primarily recounted in Canto XVI, is one of the most famous episodes in ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' and has alone served as the theme for over fifty operas as well as many paintings. Apart from Tancredi, the historically based characters tend to have relatively minor roles in operas based on the poem. Goffredo is

, one of the military leaders of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...

and later ruler of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. (The original title of ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' was ''Il Goffredo''.) Pietro l'eremita is

Peter the Hermit Peter the Hermit ( 1050 – 8 July 1115 or 1131), also known as Little Peter, Peter of Amiens ( fr. ''Pierre d'Amiens'') or Peter of Achères ( fr. ''Pierre d'Achères''), was a Roman Catholic priest of Amiens and a key figure during the militar ...

, the spiritual leader of The People's Crusade. Tancredi is

, a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

knight who became the ruler of Galilee and

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

. He and

Gaston IV of Béarn Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) * Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...

claimed to be the first Crusaders to enter Jerusalem when the city fell on 15 July 1099. In the poem, Tancredi falls in love with Clorinda and in turn is loved by both Clorinda and Erminia. Tiepolo - Rinaldo und Armida

Rinaldo (fictional) is a valiant Christian knight. In the story, he is an ancestor of the

House of Este The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries. The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...

, a compliment paid to Tasso's patron Alfonso II d'Este the Duke of Ferrara. Rinaldo shares the name (but not the identity) of an earlier Christian knight, Rinaldo di Montalbano who was a character in

Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic ''Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describes the ...

's '' Orlando Furioso''. After escaping Armida's enchantment, he seeks penance on the

Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...

for having abandoned his Christian duty for love and participates in the final assault on Jerusalem. Armida (fictional) is a beautiful highborn woman from Damascus and a sorceress. Her grandfather (Idraote), the ruler of the city was also a sorcerer. She uses her beauty and her magic to enchant the Christian knights and sow discord amongst them. After spiriting Rinaldo away to her magic isle, they fall in love. When Rinaldo comes to his senses and leaves her to return to battle, she becomes suicidal. Her character has elements of both

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vas ...

and Ariosto's

Alcina ''Alcina'' (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during ...

. Erminia (fictional) is the daughter of the Muslim King of Antioch (Cassano) who was killed by the Crusaders when they conquered the city. Tancredi nevertheless treats her with honour and protects her, causing Erminia to fall in love with him. When Tancredi is wounded in battle and on the verge of death, she abandons her people and comes over to the Christian side, curing him with special herbs. Clorinda (fictional) is a warrior-princess, fighting on the side of the Muslims. Unbeknownst to her, she is actually the daughter of the Christian King of

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. She was born

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, an extraordinary fact attributed to her having been conceived beneath a painting of

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

. Fearing that the dark-skinned King would not believe this explanation, Clorinda's mother had the child taken to Egypt by her servant (Arsete), where she was raised a Muslim. Clorinda and Tancredi fall in love, but ultimately meet in battle during the final assault on Jerusalem, although they don't recognize each other beneath their armour. Clorinda is killed by Tancredi, and dying in his arms asks him to baptize her. Sofronia and Olindo (fictional) are young Christian lovers living in Jerusalem before its fall to the Crusaders. When the Muslim ruler of the city, Aladino, orders a persecution the Christians, they are sent for execution. Clorinda takes pity on them and rescues them as they are about to be burnt at the stake. Argante (fictional) is a hot-headed Saracen warrior and an emissary of the King of Egypt and King Aladino. He is eventually slain by Tancredi. Ismene (fictional) is a powerful sorcerer in the service of King Aladino. At one point Ismene convinces Aladino to steal an icon of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

and hang it in a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, where he can cast a spell on it.

Voltaire's ''Zaïre''

Atelier de Nicolas de Largillière, portrait de Voltaire, détail (musée Carnavalet) -002

Voltaire's ''

'' (''The Tragedy of Zara'') was given its first public performance on 13 August 1732 by the Comédie française at the Théâtre de la rue des Fossés Saint-Germain. It was a great success with the Paris audiences and marked a turning away from tragedies caused by a fatal flaw in the protagonist's character to ones based on pathos. The tragic fate of its heroine is caused not through any fault of her own, but by the jealousy of her lover and the intolerance of her fellow Christians. Voltaire ostensibly set the play in the "Epoch of Saint Louis". However, the plot and characters are largely fiction. The historical characters alluded to, members of the

Lusignan The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries duri ...

and Châtillon families, were related to events of the

but not alive at the time of Louis IX. The characters' names in the original French are: *Orosmane, (Osman) the Sultan of Jerusalem *Zaïre, (Zara) a Christian slave kidnapped as a baby when Cesarea was sacked by the Muslim armies and the lover of Orosamane *Nérestan, a French knight, and unbeknownst to Zaïre, her brother *Lusignan, a descendant of the Christian princes of Jerusalem, now a prisoner of the Sultan and, unbeknownst to Zaïre, her father *Fatime, (Fatima) a slave girl and Zaïre's friend *Châtillon, a French knight and comrade of Nérestan *Corasmin and Mélédor, officers of the Sultan *Un esclave, an unnamed slave The play's melodramatic plot and a setting that appealed to the orientalism in vogue in late-18th- and early-19th-century Europe made it popular with opera composers. ''Zaïre'' has been the inspiration for at least thirteen

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s. One of the earliest operatic adaptations was

Peter Winter Peter Winter, later Peter von Winter, (baptised 28 August 1754 – 17 October 1825) was a German violinist, conductor and composer, especially of operas. He began his career as a player at the Mannheim court, and advanced to conductor. When the ...

's ''Zaire'' which premiered in 1805 at The King's Theatre in London with the famous Italian

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

Giuseppina Grassini Gioseppa Maria Camilla, commonly known as Giuseppina (or also Josephina) Grassini (8 April 1773 – 3 January 1850) was a noted Italian dramatic contralto, and a singing teacher. She was also known for her affairs with Napoleon and the Duke of W ...

, in the title role. Bellini's 1829 '' Zaira'', also based on the play, was expressly written for the inauguration of the

Teatro Regio di Parma Teatro Regio di Parma, originally constructed as the Nuovo Teatro Ducale (New Ducal Theatre),Martini, "Before the Teatro Regio", pp. 56 is an opera house and opera company in Parma, Italy. Replacing an obsolete house, the new Ducale achieved pro ...

but was a failure on the opening night and has been rarely performed since then. Johann Andreas Schachtner's libretto for Mozart's unfinished opera '' Zaïde'', was based largely on a 1778 singspiel, ''The Seraglio, or The Unexpected Reunion of Father, Daughter and Son in Slavery''. However, both appear to have been significantly influenced by the plot and themes of ''Zaïre'' which had been performed in

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

as late as 1777.

List of operas

The earliest work on this list, ''Rinaldo innamorato'' by Francesca Caccini, dates from 1623 when opera was still in its infancy and performed only in private palaces or court theatres. During this period operas co-existed with other forms of music drama which featured virtuoso singing – the ''

intermedio The intermedio (also intromessa, introdutto, tramessa, tramezzo, intermezzo, intermedii), in the Italian Renaissance, was a theatrical performance or spectacle with music and often dance, which was performed between the acts of a play to celeb ...

'' (a short spectacle performed between the acts of a play with its own story-line) and the '' madrigale concertato'' (literally "concerted madrigal", a dramatic composition for voices and instruments, often performed semi-staged). Several works in those genres were also based on Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'', including: *A set of ''intermedi'' composed by Cesare Marotta on the imprisonment, enchantment and liberation of Rinaldo (first performed in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1612) *Giovanni Rovetta's ''Le lagrime di Erminia'' (published in 1629) *

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is consider ...

's, '' Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda'' (first performed in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

in 1624) *

Domenico Mazzocchi Domenico Mazzocchi (baptised 1592 in Civita Castellana21 January 1665 in Veja) was an Italian Baroque composer of only vocal music, of the generation after Claudio Monteverdi. He was a learned Roman lawyer, studied music with Giovanni Maria Nanin ...

's ''Olindo e Sofronia'' (published in 1637) The operas below are listed in chronological order by the date of their first performance. Where this is unavailable, or the opera premiered many years after the composer's death, the date of composition is given.

17th-century operas

*''Rinaldo innamorato'' (1623, Florence) composed by Francesca Caccini; libretto after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' (music lost) *''Erminia sul Giordano'' (1633,

) composed by

Michelangelo Rossi Michelangelo Rossi (Michel Angelo del Violino) (ca. 1601/1602 – 1656) was an important Italian composer, violinist and organist of the Baroque era. Rossi was born in Genoa, where he studied with his uncle, Lelio Rossi organist (from 1601 t ...

; libretto by Giulio Rospigliosi, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''L'Armida'' (1639, Venice) composed by

Benedetto Ferrari Benedetto Ferrari (ca. 1603 – 1681) was an Italian composer, particularly of opera, librettist, and theorbo player. Ferrari was born in Reggio nell'Emilia. He worked in Rome (1617–1618), Parma (1619–1623), and possibly in Modena at some ...

; libretto by Benedetto Ferrari, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''L'Amore trionfante dello sdegno '' (1641, Ferrara) composed by Marco Marazzoli; libretto after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *'' Armide'' (1686, Paris) composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully; libretto by

Philippe Quinault Philippe Quinault (; 3 June 1635 – 26 November 1688), French dramatist and librettist, was born in Paris. Biography Quinault was educated by the liberality of François Tristan l'Hermite, the author of ''Marianne''. Quinault's first play w ...

, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''La Gerusalemme liberata'' (1687, Venice) composed by

Carlo Pallavicino Carlo Pallavicino (Pallavicini; c. 1630 – 29 January 1688) was an Italian composer. Pallavicino was born at Salò. From 1666 to 1673, he worked at the Dresden court; from 1674 to 1685, at the '' Ospedale degli Incurabili'' (a conservatory wher ...

; libretto by Vincenzo Grimani and Girolamo Frisari, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Gli avvenimenti di Erminia e di Clorinda'' (1693, Venice) composed by

Carlo Francesco Pollarolo Carlo Francesco Pollarolo (ca. 1653 – 7 February 1723) was an Italian composer, organist, and music director. Known chiefly for his operas, he wrote a total of 85 of them as well as 13 oratorios. His compositional style was initially indebted t ...

; libretto by Giulio Cesare Corradi, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' (music lost) *''Gli amori e incanti di Rinaldo con Armida'' (1694,

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; egl, Ruig) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Venice and south-southwest of P ...

) composed by ; libretto by Giralomo Colatelli, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' (music lost)

18th-century operas

*''

Tancrède ''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 ...

'' (1702, Paris) by André Campra; libretto by

Antoine Danchet Antoine Danchet (7 September 1671 – 21 February 1748) was a French playwright, librettist and dramatic poet. Biography Danchet was born in Riom, in the Auvergne, France. Having been a professor of rhetoric at Chartres and then a tutor at Par ...

, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida abbandonata'' (1707, Venice) composed by Giovanni Maria Ruggieri; libretto by Francesco Silvani, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida al campo'' (1708, Venice) composed by ; libretto by Francesco Silvani after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Isacio tiranno'' (1710, Venice) composed by

Antonio Lotti Antonio Lotti (5 January 1667 – 5 January 1740) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. Biography Lotti was born in Venice, although his father Matteo was '' Kapellmeister'' at Hanover at the time. Oral tradition says that in 1682, Lotti ...

; libretto by Francesco Briani, based loosely on the conquest of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

during the

*'' Rinaldo'' (1711, London) composed by George Frideric Handel; libretto by

Giacomo Rossi Giacomo Rossi was an Italian poet, translator and librettist who settled in London early in the 18th century and wrote librettos for George Frideric Handel, between 1710 and 1729. According to Rossi '' Rinaldo'' was written by Handel in a fort ...

after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida regina di Damasco'' (1711, Verona) composed by Teofilo Orgiani (music lost) *''Armida in Damasco'' (1711, Venice) composed by Giacomo Rampini; libretto by Grazio Braccioli *''

Armida al campo d'Egitto ''Armida al campo d'Egitto'' is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Giovanni Palazzo. It was first performed during the Carnival season of 1718 at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice. Vivaldi's version is different from the mo ...

'' (1718, Venice) composed by Antonio Vivaldi; libretto by Giovanni Palazzi, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Das eroberte Jerusalem, oder Armida und Rinaldo'' (1722,

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

) composed by

Georg Caspar Schürmann Georg Caspar Schürmann (1672 (or early 1673), in Idensen bei Neustadt am Rübenberge – 25 February 1751, in Wolfenbüttel) was a German Baroque composer. His name also appears as Schurmann and in Hochdeutsch as Scheuermann. Life Schürmann st ...

; libretto by Johann Samuel Müller, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida abbandonata'' (1725,

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

) composed by Antonio Bioni; libretto by Francesco Silvani, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida al campo'' (1726, Breslau) composed by Antonio Bioni; libretto by Francesco Silvani, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Il trionfo di Armida'' (1726, Venice) composed by

Tomaso Albinoni Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. His output includes operas, concertos, sonatas for one to six instruments, sinfonias, and solo cantatas. While famous in his day as an opera comp ...

; libretto by Girolamo Colatelli, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *'' Riccardo primo, re d'Inghilterra'' (1727, London) composed by George Frideric Handel; libretto by Paulo Antonio Rolli after Francesco Briani's ''Isacio tiranno'' *''L'abbandono di Armida'' (1729, Venice) composed by Antonio Pollarolo; libretto by Giovanni Boldini, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida'' (1751, Berlin) composed by

Carl Heinrich Graun Carl Heinrich Graun (7 May 1704 – 8 August 1759) was a German composer and tenor. Along with Johann Adolph Hasse, he is considered to be the most important German composer of Italian opera of his time. Biography Graun was born in Wahrenbr� ...

; libretto by Leopoldo di Villati, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''La Armida aplacada'' (1750, Madrid) composed by ; libretto by Giovanni Ambrogio Migliavacca, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida'' (1761,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) composed by

Tommaso Traetta Tommaso Michele Francesco Saverio Traetta (30 March 1727 – 6 April 1779) was an Italian composer of the Neapolitan School. Along with other composers mainly in the Holy Roman Empire and France, he was responsible for certain operatic r ...

; libretto by Giacomo Durazzo after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''

Armida abbandonata ''Armida Abbandonata'' (''Armida Abandoned'') is an opera in three acts by the Italian composer Niccolò Jommelli. The libretto, by Francesco Saverio De Rogatis, is based on the epic poem ''Jerusalem Delivered'' by Torquato Tasso. The opera was ...

'' (1770,

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

) composed by Niccolò Jommelli; libretto by Francesco Saverio De Rogatis, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''

Armida Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description In Tasso's epic ''Jerusalem Delivered'' ( it, Gerusalemme liberata, link=no), Rinaldo is a fierce and determ ...

'' (1771,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) composed by

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian classical composer, conductor, and teacher. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subject of the Habsburg monarchy ...

; libretto by

Marco Coltellini Marco Coltellini (24 May 1724, in Montepulciano – November 1777, in Saint Petersburg) was an Italian opera tenor, librettist and printer. Biography Coltellini embarked on a career in the Church, but had to leave after fathering four daught ...

after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *'' Armide'' (1777, Paris) composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck; libretto by

, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Armida'' (1777, Venice) composed by

Gennaro Astarita Gennaro Astarita (also spelled Astaritta) (c.1745–49 – 18 December 1805) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. The place of his birth is unknown, although he was active in Naples for many years. He began his operatic career in 1765, coll ...

; libretto by Giovanni Ambrogio Migliavacca and Giacomo Durazzo, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''

'' (1780,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

) composed by

Josef Mysliveček Josef Mysliveček (9 March 1737 – 4 February 1781) was a Czech composer who contributed to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism in music. Mysliveček provided his younger friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with significant com ...

; libretto by Giovanni Ambrogio Migliavacca after Philippe Quinault *''

'' (1784,

Eszterháza Eszterháza is a palace in Fertőd, Hungary, built by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Sometimes called the "Hungarian Versailles", it is Hungary's grandest Rococo edifice. It served as the home to Joseph Haydn and his orchestra from 1760 to 1790. In ...

) composed by Joseph Haydn; librettist unknown, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *'' Richard Coeur-de-lion'' (1784, Paris) composed by

André Grétry André Ernest Modeste Grétry (; baptised 11 February 1741; died 24 September 1813) was a composer from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (present-day Belgium), who worked from 1767 onwards in France and took French nationality. He is most famous ...

; libretto by

Michel-Jean Sedaine Michel-Jean Sedaine (2 June 1719 – 17 May 1797) was a French dramatist and librettist, especially noted for his librettos for '' opéras comiques'', in which he took an important and influential role in the advancement of the genre from th ...

, based on the imprisonment of Richard I after the Third Crusade *''Sofronia ed Olindo'' (1793, Naples) composed by ; libretto by Carlo Sernicola, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''Zaira'' (1797, Venice) composed by ; libretto by Mattia Butturini, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre''

19th-century operas

*''La Zaira'' (1802, Lisbon) composed by Marcos Antônio Portugal; libretto by Mattia Butturini, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Zaira ossia Il trionfo della religione'' composed by ; libretto by Mattia Butturini, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Zaira'' (1805) composed by

; libretto by Filippo Pananti, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' * ''Gabriella di Vergy'' (1816, Naples) composed by

Michele Carafa Michele Enrico Francesco Vincenzo Aloisio Paolo Carafa di Colobrano (17 November 1787 – 26 July 1872) was an Italian opera composer. He was born in Naples and studied in Paris with Luigi Cherubini. He was Professor of counterpoint at the Par ...

; libretto by

Andrea Leone Tottola Andrea Leone Tottola (died 15 September 1831) was a prolific Italian librettist, best known for his work with Gaetano Donizetti and Gioachino Rossini. It is not known when or where he was born. He became the official poet to the royal theatres ...

, based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' (1777) by Dormont De Belloy. *''Fayel'' (1817, Florence) composed by

Carlo Coccia Carlo Coccia (14 April 1782 – 13 April 1873) was an Italian opera composer. He was known for the genre of opera semiseria. Life and career Coccia was born in Naples, and studied in his native city with Pietro Casella, Fedele Fenaroli, a ...

; libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' (1777) by Dormont De Belloy. *''

'' (1817,

) composed by

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

; libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''

Ricciardo e Zoraide ''Ricciardo e Zoraide'' (''Ricciardo and Zoraide'') is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Francesco Berio di Salsa. The text is based on cantos XIV and XV of '' Il Ricciardetto'', an epic poem by Niccolò Forte ...

'' (1818, Naples) composed by Gioachino Rossini; libretto by Francesco Berio de Salsa, after epic poem, ''Il Ricciardetto'' *''Pietro l'eremita'' (1822, London) composed by Gioachino Rossini; libretto by

, a version of Rossini's ''

Mosè in Egitto ''Mosè in Egitto'' (; "''Moses in Egypt''") is a three-act opera written by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, which was based on a 1760 play by Francesco Ringhieri, ''L'Osiride''. It premièred on 5 March 1818 a ...

'' with the plot changed to one based on

*'' Il crociato in Egitto'' (1824, Venice) composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer; libretto by Gaetano Rossi, after Jean-Antoine-Marie Monperlier's ''Les Chevaliers de Malte'' set in the Sixth Crusade. *''

'' (1826, first performed 1869, Naples) composed by Gaetano Donizetti; libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' (1777) by Dormont De Belloy. *''

'' (1828, Paris) composed by Gioachino Rossini; libretto by

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of ma ...

and

Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson, known as Delestre-Poirson (22 August 1790, in Paris – 19 November 1859) was a French playwright and theatre director. Delestre-Poirson was the director of the Gymnase dramatique, from 1820 to 1844 ; his r ...

*''Gabriella di Vergy'' (1828, Lisbon) composed by Saverio Mercadante; libretto by Antonio Profumo, based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' (1777) by Dormont De Belloy *'' Zaira'' (1829,

) composed by

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Gius ...

; libretto by

Felice Romani Giuseppe Felice Romani (31 January 178828 January 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist betw ...

, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Zaira'' (1829) composed by Alessandro Gandini; libretto by Felice Romani, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Il talismano, ovvero La terza crociata in Palestina'' (1829, Milan) composed by Giovanni Pacini; libretto by Gaetano Barbieri, after

's novel, '' The Talisman'' *''

Der Templer und die Jüdin ''Der Templer und die Jüdin '' (English: ''The Templar and the Jewess'') is an opera (designated as a '' Große romantische Oper'') in three acts by Heinrich Marschner. The German libretto by Wilhelm August Wohlbrück was based on a number of int ...

'' (The

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

and the Jewess) (1829,

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

) composed by

Heinrich Marschner Heinrich August Marschner (16 August 1795 – 14 December 1861) was the most important composer of German opera between Weber and Wagner.

, libretto by Wilhelm August Wohlbrück, after Sir Walter Scott's novel, '' Ivanhoe'' *''Zaira'' (1831, Naples) composed by Saverio Mercadante; libretto by

, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Ivanhoe'' (1832, Venice) composed by Giovanni Pacini; libretto by

Gaetano Rossi Gaetano Rossi (; 18 May 1774 – 25 January 1855) was an Italian opera librettist for several of the well-known ''bel canto''-era composers including Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Saverio Mercadante in Italy and Giacomo Meyerbeer in one ...

*''Emma d'Antiochia'' (1834, Venice) composed by Saverio Mercadante; libretto by Felice Romani *''

Il templario ''Il templario'' is an Italian-language opera by the German composer Otto Nicolai from a libretto written by based on Walter Scott's 1819 novel ''Ivanhoe''. It has been noted that Nicolai's work for the opera stage, which followed the successfu ...

'' (1840,

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

) composed by Otto Nicolai; libretto by Girolamo Maria Marini, after Sir Walter Scott's ''Ivanhoe'' *''

I Lombardi alla prima crociata ''I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata'' (''The Lombards on the First Crusade'') is an operatic ''dramma lirico'' in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on an epic poem by Tommaso Grossi, which was "very much a ...

'' (1843,

) composed by Giuseppe Verdi; libretto by

Temistocle Solera Temistocle Solera (25 December 1815 – 21 April 1878) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Life and career He was born in Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughou ...

, after Tommaso Grossi's 1829 epic poem of the same name *''Die Kreuzfahrer'' (The Crusaders) (1844,

Cassel Cassel may refer to: People * Cassel (surname) Places ;France * Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France ** Battle of Cassel (1071) ** Battle of Cassel (1328) ** Battle of Cassel (1677) ;Germany * Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse re ...

) composed by

Louis Spohr Louis Spohr (, 5 April 178422 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten symphonies, t ...

; libretto by Louis Spohr, after

's play of the same name *''Richard en Palestine'' (1844, Paris) composed by

Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (; 24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer, teacher and music critic. A prolific composer for the theatre, he is best known today for his ballets ''Giselle'' (1841) and '' Le corsaire'' (1856), his operas '' Le po ...

; libretto by

Paul Foucher Paul-Henri Foucher (21 April 1810 – 24 January 1875) was a French playwright, theatre and music critic, political journalist, and novelist. Biography Early career Foucher was born in Paris and began his career as an employee in the offices of ...

based on

in the

*''Zaira'' (1845, Modena) composed by Antonio Mami; libretto by Felice Romani, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''The Crusaders'' (1846, London) composed by Julius Benedict; libretto by

Alfred Bunn Alfred Bunn (April 8, 1796 in LondonDecember 20, 1860 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) was an English theatrical manager. He was married to Margaret Agnes (née Somerville) Bunn, a minor actress, in 1819. Biography Bunn was appointed stage manager of D ...

and

Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (7 November 1799 – 23 December 1875) was a French playwright, who was born and died in Paris. He was one of the most prolific librettists of the 19th century, often working in collaboration with others. Sa ...

, which conflates events from the First Crusade (by way of Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'') and the Third Crusade. *''

Jérusalem ''Jérusalem'' is a grand opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was to be an adaptation and partial translation of the composer's original 1843 Italian opera, ''I Lombardi alla prima crociata''. It was the one opera which he regarded ...

'' (1847, Paris) composed by Giuseppe Verdi; libretto by

Alphonse Royer Alphonse Royer, (10 September 1803 – 11 April 1875) was a French author, dramatist and theatre manager, most remembered today for having written (with his regular collaborator, Gustave Vaëz) the librettos for Gaetano Donizetti's opera ''L ...

and Gustave Vaëz *''

Aroldo ''Aroldo'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on and adapted from their earlier 1850 collaboration, ''Stiffelio''. The first performance was given in the Teatro Nuovo Comunale in Ri ...

'' (1857,

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

) composed by Giuseppe Verdi; libretto by

Francesco Maria Piave Francesco Maria Piave (18 May 18105 March 1876) was an Italian opera librettist who was born in Murano in the lagoon of Venice, during the brief Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. Career Piave's career spanned over twenty years working with many of th ...

*''Il talismano'' (1874, London) composed by

Michael Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...

as ''The Knight of the Leopard'' and completed after his death by Michael Costa; libretto by Giuseppe Zaffira after Sir Walter Scott's novel, ''The Talisman'' *''Zaïre'' (1887,

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

) composed by Charles-Édouard Lefebvre; libretto by

Paul Collin Paul Collin (12 July 1843 – 5 February 1915) was a French poet, writer, translator and librettist. Life and career Collin was born in Conches-en-Ouche. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, his family produced administrative officers in the mili ...

, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre'' *''Zaïre'' (1890, Paris), composed by ; libretto by

Édouard Blau Édouard Blau (30 May 1836 – 7 January 1906) was a French dramatist and opera librettist. He was a cousin of Alfred Blau, another librettist of the same period.Smith C. Édouard Blau. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera''. Macmillan, Londo ...

and Louis Besson, after Voltaire's ''Zaïre''

20th-century operas

*'' Flammen'' (1902, Vienna) composed by Franz Schreker; libretto by Dora Leen *''

'' (1904,

) composed by Antonín Dvořák; libretto by

Jaroslav Vrchlický Jaroslav Vrchlický (; 17 February 1853 – 9 September 1912) was a Czech lyrical poet. He was nominated for the Nobel prize in literature eight times. Life He was born Emilius Jakob Frida in Louny. He lived ten years with his uncle, a p ...

, after Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *'' Castle Agrazant'' (1929,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

) composed by Ralph Lyford; libretto by Ralph Lyford set in the aftermath of the

Ninth Crusade Lord Edward's crusade, sometimes called the Ninth Crusade, was a military expedition to the Holy Land under the command of Edward, Duke of Gascony (future King Edward I of England) in 1271–1272. It was an extension of the Eighth Crusade and was ...

21st-century operas

*''

L'amour de loin ' (''Love from Afar'') is an opera in five acts with music by Kaija Saariaho and a French-language libretto by Amin Maalouf. The opera received its world premiere performance on 15 August 2000 at the Salzburg Festival. Saariaho, living in Paris si ...

'' (2000,

) composed by

Kaija Saariaho Kaija Anneli Saariaho (; ; born 14 October 1952) is a Finnish composer based in Paris, France. During the course of her career, Saariaho has received commissions from the Lincoln Center for the Kronos Quartet and from IRCAM for the Ensemble Inte ...

; libretto by Amin Maalouf, loosely based on the life of the troubador,

, who died during the Second Crusade *''

'' (2005,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

television) composed by

Judith Weir Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer serving as Master of the King's Music. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office. Biography Weir was born in Cambridge, England, to Scottish paren ...

; libretto by Judith Weir, loosely based on Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'' *''The Children's Crusade'' (2009,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

) composed by

R. Murray Schafer Raymond Murray Schafer (18 July 1933 – 14 August 2021) was a Canadian composer, writer, music educator, and environmentalist perhaps best known for his World Soundscape Project, concern for acoustic ecology, and his book ''The Tuning of th ...

; libretto by R. Murray Schafer, based on the 13th-century Children's CrusadeThe world premiere of ''The Children's Crusade'' took place on 5 June 2009 during Toronto's Luminato Festival. Se
Sound Streams
who co-commissioned the opera with the Luminato Festival.

References

Notes

Sources

*Badolato, Nicola
''I drammi musicali di Giovanni Faustini per Francesco Cavalli''
Doctoral Thesis,

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continu ...

, 2007. Accessed 18 September 2009 *Bourne, Joyce and Kennedy, Michael, ''Who's Who in Opera: A Guide to Opera Characters'', Oxford University Press, 1999. . (Accessed online a
www.answers.com
16 May 2009.) *

Budden, Julian Julian Medforth Budden (9 April 1924 in Hoylake, Wirral – 28 February 2007 in Florence, Italy) was a British opera scholar, radio producer and broadcaster. He is particularly known for his three volumes on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (publish ...

''The Operas of Verdi: From Oberto to Rigoletto''
Oxford University Press, 1992. * Carlson, Marvin A.
''Voltaire and the Theatre of the Eighteenth Century''
Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. * * *Charlton, David
''The Cambridge Companion to Grand Opera''
Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 381. * Grove, George (ed.)
''A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1889)''
Vol. 3, Macmillan & Co., London, 1900. *Gutman, Robert W.
''Mozart: A Cultural Biography''
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. *Hill, John Walter
''Roman monody, cantata, and opera from the circles around Cardinal Montalto''
Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 1997. * Holden, Amanda, (ed.) ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', Penguin Putnam, 2001 *Iitti, Sanna
"''L'amour de loin'': Kaija Saariaho's first opera"
''Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music'', 8, 2002, nos 1–2, pp. 9–14. Accessed 16 May 2009. *Jeffries, Stuart
"Desert bloom"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 1 December 2005. Accessed 18 May 2009. * Jellinek, George
''History through the opera glass: from the rise of Caesar to the fall of Napoleon''
Pro/Am Music Resources, 1994. *

Letellier, Robert Ignatius Robert Ignatius Letellier (born 1953, in Durban, South Africa) is a cultural historian and academic, specialising in the history of music, Romantic literature and the Bible. He teaches at the Maryvale Institute and the Institute of Continuing Educ ...

''The operas of Giacomo Meyerbeer''
Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 2006. *Nordisk Netværk For Tidlig Musikdramatik

(sourced fro
Grove Music Online
ed. L. Macy). Accessed 16 May 2009. *Osborne, Richard
''Rossini: his life and works''
Oxford University Press, 2007. *Pike, Robert E.
"Fact and Fiction in Zaïre"
''Proceedings of the Modern Language Association of America'', Vol. 51, No. 2 (Jun., 1936), pp. 436–439 * Pirrotta, Nino and Povoledo, Elena
''Music and theatre from Poliziano to Monteverdi''
Cambridge University Press, 1982. *Polidoro, Federigo, Chapter V. "Il Tasso e le composizioni musicali ispirate dalle sue opere"
''Torquato Tasso a Napoli''
(Bartolommeo Capasso (ed.), Francesco Giannini & Figli, 1895 * Rolland, Romain
''Some Musicians of Former Days''
(originally published 1915), Ayer Publishing, 1977. *Selfridge-Field, Eleanor
''A New Chronology of Venetian Opera and Related Genres, 1660–1760''
Stanford University Press, 2007. *Siberry, Elizabeth
"Nineteenth century perspectives on the First Crusade"
in Marcus Graham Bull and Norman Housley (eds.) ''The Experience of Crusading'', Cambridge University Press, 2003. * Smither, Howard E.
''A history of the oratorio''
UNC Press, 1977. * Sonneck, Oscar and Schatz, Albert
''Catalogue of opera librettos printed before 1800''
Library of Congress (Music Division), 1914. Accessed 16 May 2009. *Stafford, William C.
''A History of Music''
Constable & Co., 1830 *Tasso, Torquato, ''Jerusalem delivered'' (''La Gerusalemme liberata'' translated and annotated by Anthony M. Esolen), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000. *Teasdale, May Silva, ''20th Century Opera at Home & Abroad: 1900 through Season 1937–1938'', E.P. Dutton & Company, 1938, p. 221. *Thicknesse, Robert
"Emma d'Antiochia"
''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'', 28 October 2003. Accessed 16 May 2009. * Weber, Caroline
"Voltaire's ''Zaïre'': Fantasies of Infidelity, Ideologies of Faith"
''South Central Review'', Vol. 21, No. 2 (Summer, 2004), pp. 42–62 *Whenham, John
"Aria in the Madrigals of Giovanni Rovetta"
in Iain Fenlon and Tim Carter (eds.), ''Con che soavità: studies in Italian opera, song, and dance, 1580–1740'', Oxford University Press, 1995.

External links

*
''Jerusalem Delivered''
an English translation by Edward Fairfax (edited by Henry Morley) of Tasso's ''La Gerusalemme liberata'', The Colonial Press, 1901 (full text)
''Zaïre''
by

in the original French (full text)
''Zara: A Tragedy''
an English translation and adaptation by Aaron Hill of Voltaire's ''Zaïre'', John Bell, 1797 (full text) {{Opera topics Operas