Esmeralda is an opera in four acts composed by Arthur Goring Thomas to an English-language libretto by Theo Marzials and Alberto Randegger based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

It premiered in London on 26 March 1883 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Georgina Burns in the title role and Barton McGuckin as her lover, Phoebus.

[2] Alberto Randegger (the musical director of the Carl Rosa company) and the eccentric British poet Theo Marzials co-wrote the libretto.

However, Marzials and Randegger's libretto gave the story a happy ending, a decision heavily criticised in a review of the premiere published in The Theatre: That Esmeralda and Phoebus should get married at the close of the fourth act, and live happily for ever after, is all very well from the school-girl novel-reading point of view; but, as a new ending to Notre Dame de Paris, it appears to me no less revolting than impertinent.

[3]The premiere of Esmeralda was staged by the Carl Rosa company on 26 March 1883 at London's Drury Lane Theatre in a performance conducted by Alberto Randegger.

[8] A revised version of Esmeralda was performed in a French translation of the libretto by Paul Milliet at the Royal Opera House in London on 12 July 1890[2] with Jean de Reszke as Phoebus and Nellie Melba in the title role.

[10] An attempt by the Carl Rosa company to revive Esmeralda in 1908 at the Royal Opera House drew very small audiences.

[11] It eventually fell into obscurity, although individual arias and the ballet music from the opera were performed at 33 separate Henry Wood Promenade Concerts between 1895 and 1930.

Esmeralda, a Romani dancing girl steps forward and offers to marry him, but stipulates privately to him that the marriage will be in name only.