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''Semiramide'' ((:semiˈraːmide)) is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon.〔Raymond Monelle 1992, ''Semiramide redenta: archetipi, fonti classiche, censure antropologiche nel melodramma'', ''Music & Letters'', 73(3), pp. 448—450〕〔Marita P. McClymonds 1993, ''Semiramide redenta: archetipi, fonti classiche, censure antropologiche nel melodramma''. ''Notes'' (2nd Ser.), 50(1), pp. 139–141.〕 The opera was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on 3 February 1823. ''Semiramide'' was Rossini's final Italian opera and according to Richard Osborne, "could well be dubbed ''Tancredi Revisited''".〔Osborne, Richard 1990, "Farewell to Italy: ''Semiramide''" in ''Rossini'', p. 302〕 As in ''Tancredi'', Rossi's libretto was based on a Voltaire tragedy. The music took the form of a return to vocal traditions of Rossini's youth, and was a melodrama in which he "recreated the baroque tradition of decorative singing with unparalleled skill".〔Guido Johannes Joerg 1991, Booklet accompanying ArtHaus DVD, p. 27〕 The ensemble-scenes (particularly the duos between Arsace and Semiramide) and choruses are of a high order, as is the orchestral writing, which makes full use of a large pit. After this splendid work, one of his finest in the genre, Rossini turned his back on Italy and moved to Paris. Apart from ''Il viaggio a Reims'', which is still in Italian, his last operas were either original compositions in French or extensively reworked adaptations into French of earlier Italian operas. Musicologist Rodolfo Celletti sums up the importance of ''Semiramide'' by stating: :"(It) was the last opera of the great Baroque tradition: the most beautiful, the most imaginative, possibly the most complete; but also, irremediably, the last".〔Celletti, quoted in Migliavacco, p. 92〕 ==Composition history== After making his mark with a number of brilliant comic operas (most notably ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', ''La Cenerentola'', ''Il turco in Italia'', and ''L'italiana in Algeri''), Rossini turned more and more to serious opera (''opere serie''). During the years 1813 (when Rossini composed ''Tancredi'') until 1822 he wrote a considerable series of them, mostly for the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples''. One reason for his new interest in the serious genre was his connection with the great dramatic soprano Isabella Colbran, who was first his mistress, then his wife. She created the leading female role in ''Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra'' (1815), ''Otello'' (1816), ''Armida'' (1817), ''Mosè in Egitto'' (1818), ''Maometto II'' (1820), and five other Rossini operas up to and including his final contribution to the genre, ''Semiramide'', which was also written with Colbran in the major role. Work began with the librettist in October 1822, composer and librettist taking Voltaire's story and making significant changes. Actual composition took Rossini 33 days〔Osborne, Charles 1994, p. 112〕 to complete the score. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Semiramide」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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