Harem of European women forcibly taken into Oriental harems—evident for example in the Mozart opera "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" ("The Abduction from the Seraglio") concerning the attempt of the hero Belmonte to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the "seraglio"/harem of the Pasha Selim; or in Voltaire's "Candide", in chapter 12 of which the old woman relates her experiences of being sold into harems across the Ottoman Empire. Much of Verdi's opera "Il corsaro" takes place in the harem of the Pasha Seid—where Gulnara, the Pasha's favorite, chafes at life in the harem, and longs for freedom and true love. Eventually
Robert Lloyd (bass) period 1988-2008. He has sung leading roles at Glyndebourne and with other British opera companies, and has appeared in major opera houses throughout the world. He sings roles in British, German, Italian, French and Russian works (Claggart and Superintendent Budd in Benjamin Britten's "Billy Budd" and "Albert Herring", the Priest and Angel of Agony in Edward Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius"; Sarastro in "The Magic Flute", Osmin in "The Abduction from the Seraglio", Rocco in "Fidelio", Seneca in "The Coronation of Poppea", Gurnemanz in "Parsifal", Fasolt in "Das Rheingold"; Don Basilio in "The Barber of Seville", Fiesco in "Simon Boccanegra",