Composer

:

Franz Joseph Haydn

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1789

Average_duration

:

5:21

Infelice Sventurata, H. 24b/15 is a dramatic cantata composed by Franz Joseph Haydn in 1765. The cantata was written for the soprano singer Luigia Polzelli, who was a member of the Esterházy court. The text of the cantata was written by Pietro Metastasio, a prominent Italian poet and librettist of the time. The cantata is divided into three movements. The first movement is an aria in which the protagonist, Infelice Sventurata, laments her unhappy fate. The second movement is a recitative in which Infelice Sventurata expresses her despair and hopelessness. The final movement is another aria in which Infelice Sventurata expresses her desire for death as a release from her suffering. The music of Infelice Sventurata is characterized by its emotional intensity and dramatic power. Haydn's use of chromaticism and dissonance in the music reflects the protagonist's sense of despair and hopelessness. The cantata also features virtuosic vocal writing, with the soprano singer required to navigate a range of vocal challenges, including rapid runs, trills, and leaps. Infelice Sventurata was premiered in the Esterházy court in Eisenstadt, Austria, in 1765. The cantata was well-received by audiences and helped to establish Haydn's reputation as a composer of vocal music. Today, Infelice Sventurata is considered one of Haydn's most important early works and is frequently performed and recorded.

More....