| Vincenzo Bellini |
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Operas
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Zaira is a tragedia lirica, or tragic opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini set to a libretto by Felice Romani which was based on Voltaire's 1732 tragedy, Zaïre. The story takes place in the time of the Crusades and the opera's plot involves the heroine, Zaira, struggling between her Christian faith and her love for Orosmane, the Muslim Sultan of Jerusalem. It was Bellini's fifth opera, and it followed quickly after his February 1829 composition and premiere of La straniera at La Scala.
Zaira received its first performance at the "Nuovo Teatro Ducale" in Parma (now the Teatro Regio di Parma) on 16 May 1829.[1] However, the opera, which had been expressly written for the theatre's inauguration, was a failure at its premiere. While Bellini's success had been swift, "it was the first serious setback of a hithto brilliant career"[1]. One critic attributes the failure to Parma's traditional love of and favouritism towards Rossini's music,[1] while another notes that a combination of the composer being constantly seen around the city (when it was assumed that he should have been working) and the fact that Romani had noted in the printed libretto that the opera had been written in just 30 days were significant factors.[2]
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Bellini later re-used substantial parts of the music of Zaira for his next opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi,[2] which received its premiere in March 1830.
Except for a revival in 1836 in Florence, no performances were given for 140 years.[1] However, Zaira 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, and again in 1990 with Katia Ricciarelli and Ramón Vargas. Both productions were recorded.
Apart from presentations in 2006 at the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and as a concert performance at the 2009 Festival de Radio France et Montpellier in France,[3] performances of the opera are rare.
| 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 |
| Year | Cast (Zaira, Orosmane, Corasmino, Nerestano, Lusignano) |
Conductor, Opera house and orchestra |
Label[4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Renata Scotto, Luigi Roni, Giorgio Lamberti, Maria Luisa (Bordin) Nave, Mario Rinaudo |
Danilo Belardinelli Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Massimo Bellini (Recording of a performance at Catania, 30 March and 1 April) |
Audio CD: Opera d'Oro Cat: OPD 1442 |
| 1990 | Katia Ricciarelli, Simone Alaimo, Ramón Vargas, Alexandra Papadjakou, Luigi Roni |
Paolo Olmi Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Massimo Bellini (Recorded at performances in Catania, 23, 25, 27 September) |
Audio CD: Nuova Era Cat: 6982/83 |