Rages or Rhagae, ancient and medieval city of Persia, located on the site of modern-day Ray, N Iran, a suburb of Tehran. Rages is mentioned in the Avesta and in the inscriptions at Behistun. Because it controlled the NE Persian trade route, it was occupied by the Parthians and the Arabs. It flourished under the Seljuk Turks. Fierce religious conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims resulted in the destruction of much of the city in 1186; further damage was done by the Mongols in 1220, and by 1400 the city was deserted. There are ruins of walls and towers at the site. The city was the scene of some of the principal events in the Old Testament book of Tobit.

Les Abencérages, ou L'étendard de Grenade (English: The Abencerrages, or The Standard of Granada) is an opera in three acts by Luigi Cherubini with a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy, based on the novel Gonzalve de Cordoue by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on April 6 1813 with Napoleon and his wife, the Empress Marie-Louise, in the audience. The opera was initially a success but its popularity waned after the fall of Napoleon.

Because of its use of large choruses, spectacle and extensive dance music as well as its story line of a love affair played out against the background of major historical events, Les abencérages is considered an important precursor of French grand opera. Almanzor's tenor aria, Suspendez de ses murs, was admired by composers such as Berlioz and has been recorded by singers including Georges Thill and Roberto Alagna. The ballet music in Act One contains variations on the popular melody La Follia (known in French as Les folies d'Espagne).

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, April 6, 1813 (Conductor: - )
Noraïme	soprano
Almanzor	tenor
Gonzalve de Cordoue
Alamir
Kaled
Alemar
Abderame
Octaïr
Egilone
Troubadour

Synopsis

Place: The Kingdom of Granada in Moorish Spain

Time: End of the 15th Century

Act 1

The action of the opera concerns the feud between the families of the Abencerrages and the Zegris. In spite of this conflict, Almanzor, a young Abencerrage warrior, and the Zegri princess Noraïme have fallen in love and are due to be married. Almanzor has also made friends with the Spanish noble, Gonzalve of Cordoba and forged a peace treaty between the Muslims and the Christians. But Almanzor's popularity has made him enemies among many of the Zegris and they plot against him. On the day of the wedding, a revolt breaks out among a subject tribe and Almanzor is forced to leave to quell it. He takes with him the standard of Granada, which is so sacred that its loss would mean exile.

Act 2

Almanzor defeats the rebels but he loses the sacred standard and is put on trial. Almanzor defends himself by claiming that one of his enemies, Octaïr, secretly snatched it away, but his excuses are not accepted and he is condemned to exile.

Act 3

Almanzor cannot bear life away from Noraïme and steals into the garden of the Alhambra to meet her. But he is ambushed by his Zegris enemies, arrested and condemned to death unless a champion can be found to defend his cause in single combat. An unknown warrior bearing the lost standard of Granada arrives to take up the challenge on Almanzor's behalf. He fights and defeats the Zegris champion, Alamir, before revealing he is Gonzalve of Cordoba and showing proof it was Octaïr and his fellow conspirators who hid the standard in order to destroy Almanzor. The conspirators are arrested and Almanzor and Noraïme's wedding goes ahead to general rejoicing.

Selected recordings

• In Italian as Gli abencerragi with Anita Cerquetti, Louis Roney, Alvino Misciano and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Firenze, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini (recorded 1956; reissued on CD by Gala, 2001)
• Les abencérages, Margherita Rinaldi, Francisco Ortiz, Jean Dupouy, Coro e Orchestra Sinfonica RAI di Milano, conducted by Peter Maag (radio recording from 1975; issued on CD by Arts Archives, 2006)

Sources

• Booklet notes to the above recordings.