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Though not widely told today, the legend of Semiramide was wildly popular
in literature, the arts, and the opera up until the 19th century. She
is a character open to interpretation, variously portrayed as a ruthless
warmonger, a sex-crazed despot, and a noble and capable ruler who expanded
the Assyrian empire and built great cities such as Babylon. Rossini's
score to this dramatic opera is one of his longest, and also one of
his most moving and stimulating. And if further stimilation was needed,
stage director Travis Prestion has incorporated multimedia video and
a surreal metaphorical substructure into the Minnesota Opera's production
of this ancient tale. For more details on the story, read Brandi Parisi's
plot synopsis.
Portions of this summary excerpted from the Minnesota
Opera's Semiramide program.
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