The Plot
The opera was left unfinished, and the only surviving version is an incomplete manuscript with no act divisions
"Zaide" is a singspiel (a German form of opera with spoken dialogue) that tells the story of a slave girl named Zaide who falls in love with her master, the Christian soldier Gomatz. The two plan to escape from their captors, the Sultan Soliman and his henchman Allazim, who have forced them into slavery. However, before they can escape, they are discovered by Soliman and Allazim. Soliman is captivated by Zaide's beauty and offers her freedom in exchange for her love. Zaide refuses, and Soliman orders her and Gomatz to be imprisoned. In the end, Zaide and Gomatz are saved by a group of Christian soldiers who arrive to rescue them. The opera ends with a celebration of their freedom.
