Ciro in Babilonia (Cyrus in Babylonia)

by Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1868). Drama con cori per musica in two acts
Libretto by Francesco Averti
First performance 14 March 1812

During Lent many Italian theatres were closed: others performed with biblical settings. Ciro in Babylonia is the first of Rossini's two Lenten operas (Mosè in Egito being the other). It suffers from an excess of secco recitative but it also has several arias of ample proportions. Amira's aria 'Vorrei veder lo sposo' resurfaces in the 1818 version of Mosè in Egito.

Baldassare, king of Babylonia, falls in love with Amira, wife of Ciro, king of Persia whom he has defeated. While she is his prisoner together with her young son, the Babylonian king tries to flatter her with his amorous proposals and offers her his throne. The woman refuses his offers; Ciro meanwhile, disguised as an ambassador, gains access to Amira and tries to free her. After being unmasked, he is arrested and imprisoned. Baldassare is determined to have Amira, even against her will, and orders the wedding feast to be prepared. But a terrible storm suddenly erupts: in the middle of the lightening and thunder a mysterious hand appears which traces obscure and threatening words in characters of fire on the wall. The King of Babylonia is greatly disturbed. The Magi and the prophet Daniele are summoned in order to explain to the king the meaning of these words. Daniele interprets this occurrence as a sign of divine anger and the fall of Babylonia; the Magi instead advise the king to sacrifice the three important Persian prisoners to the Gods. As Ciro, Amira and their young son are condemned to death, and Ciro bids farewell to his wife and child, the news reaches Baldassare's palace that the Babylonian defences have been routed by the Persians. Ciro is then liberated and sits on Baldassare's throne, and the people pay homage to the new king.