Ricciardo e Zoraide
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| Ricciardo e Zoraide | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Gioachino Rossini | |
 Rossini c. 1815 | |
| Librettist | Francesco Berio di Salsa |
| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Il Ricciardetto, epic poem by Forteguerri |
| Premiere | |
Ricciardo e Zoraide (Ricciardo and Zoraide) is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Francesco Berio di Salsa. The text is based on cantos XIV and XV of Il Ricciardetto, an epic poem by Niccolò Forteguerri.[1]
Ricciardo e Zoraide was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, on 3 December 1818. It continued to be performed until 1846 but fell out of favor afterwards and was not performed in public again until its revival at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival in 1990.[2] The Rossini Opera Festival featured a new production of the opera in 2018.[3][4] Among other performances, the opera received a production at the Rossini in Wildbad festival in 2013.[5]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 3 December 1818 (Conductor: Nicola Festa ) |
|---|---|---|
| Agorante, King of Nubia, infatuated with Zoraide | tenor | Andrea Nozzari |
| Zomira, wife of Agorante | contralto | Benedetta Rosmunda Pisaroni |
| Zamorre, confidant of Agorante | tenor | Gaetano Chizzola |
| Elmira, confidant of Zomira | mezzo-soprano | Raffaella de Bernardis |
| Ircano, a Middle Eastern prince | bass | Michele Benedetti |
| Zoraide, daughter of Ircano, in love with Ricciardo | soprano | Isabella Colbran |
| Ricciardo, a Christian paladin knight, in love with Zoraide | tenor | Giovanni David |
| Fatima, confidant of Zoraide | mezzo-soprano | Maria Manzi |
| Ernesto, friend of Ricciardo, Christian camp ambassador, | tenor | Giuseppe Ciccimarra |
Synopsis
The Nubian King Agorante, who is infatuated with Zoraide, has defeated her father, Ircano and captured her. Ricciardo, a Christian knight and Zoraide's lover, accompanies an emissary to plead for her release. Agorante's jealous wife, Zomira, arranges the capture of Ricciardo as well and plots to have the young lovers executed to protect her position as Queen. The opera ends with an army of Christian knights rescuing Ricciardo and Zoraide. Ricciardo spares Agorante's life.
