Tancrède
# 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 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. 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

| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 7 November 1702 (Conductor: Marin Marais) |
| - | - | - |
| A sage enchanter/A warrior | haute-contre | Jacques Cochereau |
| Peace | soprano | Mlle Clément L. |
| Followers of Peace | sopranos | Mlles Clément P. and Loignon |
| Tancrède, a crusader | bass-baritone | Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard |
| Argante, Saracen leader | bass-baritone | Charles Hardouin |
| Clorinde, Saracen princess | contralto | Julie d'Aubigny (La Maupin) |
| Herminie, daughter of the king of Antioch | soprano | Marie-Louise Desmatins |
| 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 | tenor (travesti) | Claude Desvoyes |
