Semiramide riconosciuta (Semiramis Recognized) is an Italian opera with serious action, or dramma per musica , by Nicola Porpora, set to a libretto by Metastasio with some textual changes, possibly by Domenico Lalli. The opera was written for some of the finest contemporary singers, and includes a technically demanding series of da capo arias.
The opera was first performed on 26 December 1729 at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice. Metastasio's libretto had been used in Rome, on 6 February that same year, for another setting of the same title by Leonardo Vinci. [1]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 26 December 1729 [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Semiramide, an Egyptian princess | soprano | Lucia Facchinelli |
| Merteo, an Egyptian prince, brother of Semiramide | soprano castrato | Carlo Maria Broschi "Farinelli" |
| Sibari, also formerly in love with Semiramide | alto castrato | Domenico Gizzi |
| Idreno/Scitalce, an Indian prince, former lover of Semiramide | soprano castrato | Nicolò Grimaldi "Nicolini" |
| Tamiri, princess of Bactria | soprano | Antonia "Anna" Negri |
| Ircano, a Scythian prince | bass | Giuseppe Maria Boschi |
The Egyptian princess Semiramide rules Assyria disguised as a man. Princess Tamiri prepares to choose a husband from three candidates, setting in motion a series of events that lead to Semiramide being reunited with her lover Scitalce, and the exposure of the villainy of his rival Sibari.
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