The plot of the “Secret Marriage” is borrowed from two plays. One of them, "The Clandestine Marriage," belongs to two famous English authors: George Colman the Elder and David Garrick. The other play is "Sophie, or Hidden Marriage" by French actress and novelist Marie-Jeanne Riccoboni. The libretto was written by Giovanni Bertati.
The premiere of the opera took place on February 7, 1792, in the Vienna Burgtheater and was an exceptional success. Emperor Leopold II liked it so much that he demanded its immediate repetition. After a dinner, the singers repeated the performance specially for the Emperor and courtiers.
None of the Armenian capitals was researched so well as Ani. The studies of Ghevond Alishan are proved to be invaluable for elucidating the history of Ani. The first Armenian historian who mentioned Ani was Elishe, then Lazar Parpetsi. After transferring the three capitals in a short period, the Bagratids settled in Ani. Ani was a city full of churches. Armenian and foreign historians and travelers called Ani a city of a thousand and one churches. In 1921, Ani was transferred to Turkey in accordance with the Treaty of Kars.
