About the work
Melodramma serio in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a libretto by Felice Romani, based on Émile Boisnormand de Bonnechose's play "Rosemonde" about the mistress of England's King Henry II. It premiered on 27 February 1834 at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence with Fanny Tacchinardi-Persiani as Rosmonda.
Plot
King Enrico II keeps his secret lover Rosmonda hidden in a remote tower. When Queen Leonora discovers the hiding place, she also learns that Rosmonda is the daughter of Enrico's former tutor Clifford. In the ensuing confrontation, the jealous Leonora stabs her rival and blames the king for her death.
Cultural significance
The opera met with only a lukewarm reception at its premiere and quickly fell into obscurity; Donizetti later reused its aria "Perché non ho del vento" in reworked form in "Lucia di Lammermoor". Not until 1975 did the label Opera Rara bring the work back to the stage in concert, and occasional revivals have followed since, including the German premiere in Gelsenkirchen in 2004.