About the work
Donizetti composed Zoraida di Granata in 1821–22 on commission from impresario Giovanni Paterni, arranged through his former teacher Simon Mayr, as a two-act opera seria to a libretto by Bartolomeo Merelli. Its premiere on 28 January 1822 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome was Donizetti's first major success in the Italian capital.
Plot
During the Spanish siege of Granada, the Moorish usurper Almuzir desires the deposed princess Zoraida, who loves his general Abenamet instead. To save Abenamet's life, Zoraida appears to agree to marry Almuzir; a secret meeting is discovered, until Abenamet forces the usurper's confession and the lovers are reunited.
Cultural significance
The premiere was thrown into crisis when the intended tenor fell fatally ill shortly before opening night, forcing Donizetti to rewrite Abenamet's role overnight for a lower voice. Its success brought him a contract with impresario Domenico Barbaja and his path to Naples. The opera then fell into obscurity, only being rediscovered since the 2020s, including a 2023 production at Wexford Festival Opera, a co-production with the Donizetti Opera Festival Bergamo.