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Operas
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Zaira is a tragedia lirica, or tragic opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini (1829), from a libretto by Felice Romani based on the tragedy Zaïre (1732) by Voltaire. Set in the time of the Crusades, the opera's plot involves the heroine, Zaira, struggling between her Christian faith and her love for Orosmane, the Muslim Sultan of Jerusalem.
Performance history
Zaira received its first performance at the Teatro Regio di Parma on 16 May 1829. The opera, which had been expressly written for the theatre's inauguration, was a failure at its premiere. Bellini later re-used substantial parts of it for his I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830).
The opera was revived in 1976 in a reconstruction by Rubino Profeta at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania with a cast including Renata Scotto and Giorgio Lamberti (Recording: Myto Devotion MDCD0013), and again in 1990 with Katia Ricciarelli, Ramón Vargas and Simone Alaimo (Recording: Nuova Era).
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, May 16, 1829 (Conductor: Ferdinando Melchiorri) |
|---|---|---|
| Zaira, favourite of Orosmane | soprano | Henriette Méric-Lalande |
| Orosmane, Sultan of Jerusalem | bass | Luigi Lablache |
| Nerestano, brother of Zaira | mezzo-soprano | Teresa Cecconi |
| Corasmino, vizir | tenor | Carlo Trezzini |
| Lusignano, father of Zaira e Nerestano | bass | Giovanni Inchindi |
| Castiglione | tenor | Francesco Antonio Biscottini |
| Fatima | soprano | Marietta Sacchi |
| Meledor | bass | Pietro Ansiglioni |
References
- Casaglia, Gherardo, Amadeus Almanac - 16 May 1829. Accessed 28 January 2009.
- Zakariasen, Bill, "Recording review: Bellini: Zaira" Opera News, March 1997. Accessed via subscription 28 January 2009.
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