Not only is Armida Haydn’s most highly regarded opera, but the composer himself, on completing the score in 1783, referred to it as his best work. Topically interesting – love versus duty in the time of war – Armida is suitable for large and small opera companies alike and offers tremendous scope for imaginative staging. Based on the autograph score in the Royal College of Music, London, and on manuscript fragments in Eisenstadt, this edition has been prepared by the distinguished Haydn conductor Anton Gabmayer.