''Sémiramis'' is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

by the French composer

André Cardinal Destouches André Cardinal Destouches (sometimes called des Touches) (baptised 6 April 1672 – 7 February 1749) was a French composer best known for the ''opéra-ballet'' ''Les élémens''. Biography Born in Paris, the son of Étienne Cardinal, a ...

, first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique (the Paris Opera) on 4 December 1718. It takes the form of a ''

tragédie en musique Tragédie en musique (, ''musical tragedy''), also known as tragédie lyrique (, ''lyric tragedy''), is a genre of French opera introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully and used by his followers until the second half of the eighteenth century. Operas in ...

'' in a prologue and five acts. The libretto is by

Pierre-Charles Roy Pierre-Charles Roy (1683 — 23 October 1764) was a French poet and man of letters, noted for his collaborations with the composers François Francoeur and André Cardinal Destouches, to produce librettos for several opera-ballets, on classical s ...

. The opera was very successful : the Regent's eldest daughter, the Duchesse de Berry, came to see ''Sémiramis'' on December 7 : as if she were a queen, the haughty princess sat on an armchair which was set on a platform in the amphitheater. A barrier placed in the middle of the amphitheater, separated her and the thirty ladies of her court from the rest of the audience. On March 20, 1719, Mme de Berry, soon to give birth, saw ''Sémiramis'' again, sitting in the amphitheater on an armchair with the Regent and one of her sisters, both next to her on chairs.''Journal du marquis de Dangeau'', vol. 18, Firmin Didot, Paris, 1860, p.19., Mme De Berry openly defied the public opinion : malicious gossips claimed she had "criminal relations" with the Regent. Exhibiting her very advanced pregnancy, the shameless princess stirred up rumors announcing she would soon give birth to her father's child. Going into labour on March 28 at her Luxembourg Palace, Madame de Berry almost perished and the Church denied her the Sacraments. Delivered on April 2 of a stillborn girl but unable to recover from this scandalous childbirth, she died on July 21, 1719.

Recording

*Semiramis - Eleonore Pancrazi, Emmanuelle de Negri, Mathias Vidal, Thibault de Damas, Choeur du Concert Spirituel, Les Ombres, Margaux Blanchard 2CD 2021

References

Sources

*
Libretto at "Livres baroques"
*
Félix Clément and Pierre Larousse ''Dictionnaire des Opéras'', Paris, 1881
French-language operas Tragédies en musique 1718 operas Operas by André Cardinal Destouches Operas {{french-opera-stub