About the work
Dramma per musica in two acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer, composed for the Teatro Regio in Turin, where it premiered on 3 February 1819. For the libretto, Gaetano Rossi reworked a text by Pietro Metastasio already ninety years old (1729), adding duets and ensembles to suit contemporary taste.
Plot
The Babylonian princess Semiramide secretly rules Assyria disguised as a man. When Princess Tamiri is required to choose a husband, this leads to Semiramide's reunion with her former lover Scitalce and the exposure of the scheming Sibari.
Cultural significance
The title role was tailored to the contralto Carolina Bassi, and the premiere reportedly pleased the Sardinian king and queen. After a revision by Rossi and a run of performances in Bologna in 1820, the work disappeared from the repertoire and was not revived until 2005.