About the work
Jérusalem is a grand opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi with a French libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, adapted from Verdi's 1843 opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata. It premiered on 26 November 1847 at the Paris Opéra (Salle Le Peletier).
Plot
In Toulouse in 1095, Gaston becomes engaged to Hélène but is falsely accused of attempted murder by the jealous Roger and banished. During the First Crusade in Palestine, captivity and dishonour eventually lead Roger to confess his guilt, clearing the way for victory and the lovers' reunion.
Cultural significance
For the adaptation Verdi wrote substantial new music, including a ballet, and tightened the plot considerably compared with the original. King Louis-Philippe had two acts of the successful premiere repeated and made Verdi a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, yet Jérusalem never permanently displaced I Lombardi in either the French or the Italian repertory.