About the work
Elvida is a one-act melodramma by Gaetano Donizetti to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt. Donizetti wrote it as an occasional piece for the birthday of the Queen of the Two Sicilies, choosing a Spanish-Moorish subject as a nod to her Spanish ancestry. It premiered on 6 July 1826 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
Plot
In late-fifteenth-century Granada, the Castilian noblewoman Elvida is held captive by the Moorish leader Amur. His son Zeidar loves her but is rejected. When her betrothed, Prince Alfonso, storms the stronghold with Spanish troops, Amur tries to use Elvida as a hostage; Zeidar stops him and saves her. Alfonso spares Amur's life, frees Zeidar and announces his marriage to Elvida.
Cultural significance
The opera made little impression and disappeared from the stage for about 170 years after only three performances. It returned to view only through an Opera Rara recording and performances in 2004, with Annick Massis in the title role.