Semiramide
Semiramide is a two-act Italian opera seria, or melodramma tragico, composed by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi that adapts Voltaire's 1748 tragedy Sémiramis.[1][2] The opera premiered on 3 February 1823 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, marking Rossini's final work written for an Italian theater before his move to Paris.[1][3] It tells the story of the ancient queen Semiramis of Babylon, who, having conspired with the prince Assur to murder her husband King Nino, grapples with guilt, political intrigue, and the unintended revelation that her chosen successor, the warrior Arsace, is her long-lost son Ninia.[2][1] The plot unfolds in the shadow of supernatural elements, including the ghost of Nino, which exposes the regicide and propels the drama toward tragedy: Semiramide unknowingly attempts to wed Arsace, only for the truth to emerge, leading to her death at her son's hand in vengeance for his father, while Assur faces arrest.[1] Musically, Semiramide exemplifies Rossini's mature bel canto style, featuring elaborate vocal writing with six principal arias, four duets, and a monumental overture—his longest and most ambitious aside from that of Guillaume Tell—supported by a rich orchestral palette, prominent chorus, and stage band.[2] Composed after nearly two dozen operas, including nine for Naples' Teatro di San Carlo, it blends the formal structures of earlier opera seria like Tancredi with the dramatic intensity and instrumental color of his Neapolitan period, pushing the boundaries of the genre through extended ensembles and psychological depth.[2] Historically, Semiramide achieved immediate success at its premiere, starring Isabella Colbran (Rossini's wife) in the title role, but fell into neglect for over a century due to its vocally demanding parts, which required exceptional agility and stamina from singers.[3][2] Revived in the 20th century, it now stands as a cornerstone of Rossini's oeuvre, celebrated for its grandeur and as a pinnacle of early 19th-century tragic opera, influencing later composers in the transition toward Romanticism.[2]Background and Creation
Libretto and Literary Sources
The libretto for Semiramide was written by the Italian librettist Gaetano Rossi. It is primarily based on Voltaire's tragedy Sémiramis, first performed in 1748, which dramatizes the ancient legend of the Assyrian queen Semiramis (also known as Sammuramat), a historical regent who ruled from approximately 811 to 806 BCE but whose story was heavily mythologized in classical sources.[2][4] These ancient accounts, drawn from historians like Ctesias of Cnidus and later Diodorus Siculus, portray Semiramis as a powerful conqueror who rose through ambition, seduction, and violence, including tales of her founding Babylon and engaging in divine or supernatural feats.[4] Rossi adapted key elements from these legends and Voltaire's play to heighten operatic drama, incorporating themes of regicide, near-incestuous relations between Semiramide and her unrecognized son Arsace, and supernatural intervention through the ghost of her murdered husband, King Nino. These alterations amplify the tragic tension, transforming the historical figure into a complex anti-heroine whose ambition leads to familial catastrophe, echoing Oedipal motifs while emphasizing inescapable fate and divine retribution.[2][4] To suit Gioachino Rossini's compositional style, Rossi modified the source material by prioritizing elaborate vocal display over narrative spoken dialogue, structuring the text around extended bel canto arias, duets, and ensembles that allow for cantabile expression followed by cabaletta flourishes. This approach features accompanied recitatives alongside musical numbers that showcase virtuosity and emotional introspection, aligning with the conventions of early 19th-century Italian opera seria.[2] The libretto thus balances the raw mythological violence and moral ambiguity of ancient Assyrian lore with 19th-century European sensibilities, portraying Semiramide's crimes—such as conspiracy in Nino's murder—as ultimately punished, thereby reinforcing themes of guilt, redemption, and poetic justice suitable for a Romantic-era audience. Rossini collaborated closely with Rossi during the libretto's refinement to ensure dramatic pacing complemented the score's grandeur.[2]Composition Process and Premiere
Semiramide was commissioned by the Teatro La Fenice in Venice in 1822, during a period when Gioachino Rossini was established as the director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Rossini composed the opera between late 1822 and early 1823, drawing on his experiences from the Neapolitan stage to create what would become his final Italian opera. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi was loosely based on Voltaire's 1748 tragedy Sémiramis.[5][6] Rossini encountered specific challenges in tailoring Semiramide to Venetian preferences, which favored more conventional opera seria structures after his innovative works in Naples, such as Otello (1816) and La donna del lago (1819). Unlike his recent Neapolitan operas, which often omitted overtures to emphasize dramatic continuity, Rossini incorporated a grand introductory overture for Semiramide to align with Venetian expectations for spectacle and formality. This adaptation reflected the distinct theatrical traditions of Venice, where audiences anticipated elaborate ensembles and vocal displays rooted in earlier bel canto conventions.[2] The opera premiered on February 3, 1823, at the Teatro La Fenice, featuring Isabella Colbran—Rossini's wife and a leading soprano—as Semiramide, and the castrato Giovanni Battista Velluti as Arsace, the sole castrato role in Rossini's mature oeuvre. Conducted by Rossini himself, the production showcased the composer's ability to blend dramatic intensity with virtuosic demands suited to the star performers.[7][8] Semiramide achieved immediate acclaim, enjoying a successful run in its debut season—a testament to its financial viability amid La Fenice's operational constraints—and quickly attracting international attention, with productions soon mounting in major European cities like London and Paris. This success underscored Rossini's commanding position in Italian opera before his shift to French works.[9][10]Roles and Casting
Principal Characters and Voice Types
The principal characters in Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide (1823) are drawn from the libretto by Gaetano Rossi, adapted from ancient legends of the Assyrian queen, and feature a classic bel canto ensemble of soprano leads, a trouser role, and bass antagonists, supported by tenor and soprano secondaries. The vocal writing emphasizes agility, ornamentation, and emotional expression, with Rossini incorporating variants in the autograph score to adjust tessitura for performers' comfort, particularly in arias and duets.[11]| Role | Voice Type | Description and Vocal Demands |
|---|---|---|
| Semiramide | Soprano | Queen of Babylon, ambitious yet remorseful; demands extensive coloratura, high dramatic range, and decorative singing in prominent arias and duets, with tessitura adjustments noted in the score for vocal feasibility.[11][12] |
| Arsace | Contralto (often mezzo-soprano in modern productions) | Secret son of Semiramide and commander of the Assyrian army, heroic and conflicted; requires agile fioritura, emotional depth, and flexibility across a wide range in extended arias and ensembles.[12][13] |
| Assur | Bass | Usurping prince and descendant of Baal, villainous figure; features deep, menacing vocal lines in powerful recitatives and arias, emphasizing a strong lower register for dramatic intensity.[12] |
| Idreno | Tenor | King of India, loyal ally; supporting role with lyrical arias and expressive recitatives, calling for a flexible upper register and agility in ensemble passages.[12][13] |
| Oroe | Bass | High priest of the Magi and moral authority; involves authoritative declamation in recitatives and ensembles, requiring a solid, resonant bass for gravitas.[12] |
| Azema | Soprano | Princess and descendant of Baal, love interest; lighter lyrical lines in duets and brief solos, demanding clear tone and melodic grace within a higher tessitura.[12] |