Editing Semiramide (section)

==Composition history==
After making his mark with a number of brilliant comic operas (most notably ''[[Il barbiere di Siviglia]]'', ''[[La Cenerentola]]'', ''[[Il turco in Italia]]'', and ''[[L'italiana in Algeri]]''), Rossini turned more and more to serious opera (''opere serie''). During the years 1813 (when Rossini composed ''[[Tancredi]]'') until 1822 he wrote a considerable series of them, mostly for the [[Teatro di San Carlo]], Naples.

One reason for his new interest in the serious genre was his connection with the great [[dramatic soprano]] [[Isabella Colbran]], who was first his mistress, then his wife. She created the leading female roles in ''[[Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra]]'' (1815), ''[[Otello (Rossini)|Otello]]'' (1816), ''[[Armida (Rossini)|Armida]]'' (1817), ''[[Mosè in Egitto]]'' (1818), ''[[Maometto II]]'' (1820), and five other Rossini operas up to and including his final contribution to the genre, ''Semiramide'', which was also written with Colbran in the major role.

Work began with the librettist in October 1822, composer and librettist taking Voltaire's story and making significant changes. Actual composition took Rossini 33 days to complete the score.{{sfn|Osborne|1994|p=112}}