Semiramide

 

MPR and the Minnesota Opera present Semiramide
hosted by Brandi Parisi

The Performance
Walk through this scene-by-scene slide show of photographs and text from the Minnesota Opera's production.

Slide show

Cast
The players, crew, and credits.

The Story
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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