''Zemira'' is an ''

opera seria ''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...

'' in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

was by Gaetano Sertor. ''Zemira'' like other works by Bianchi, was innovative. As Marita P. McClymonds explains, "Unusual components in this work are the opening trio with storm music, the short duet for two men, the programmatic battle music, the extensive quartet . . . The version for Naples features extensive use of clarinets . . . available there some ten years earlier than in other Italian cities."McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Zemira' in ''The

New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'' vol 4 p 1224

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the Teatro di San Carlo in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

on 4 November 1781. It was revised for the Teatro Nuovo in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

probably on 13 June 1786, this time omitting the ''introduzione'' and the scene of the stabbing of Zemira.

Roles

Synopsis

The Emperor Akbar tries to win Zemira in the face of determined opposition from her father, Sarabes, and her intended husband, Gandarte. Ultimately Zemira is stabbed to death by her father, and Akbar pardons Gandarte.

References

* *McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Zemira' in ''The

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London) {{authority control Opera seria Operas by Francesco Bianchi 1781 operas Italian-language operas Operas