Composer

:

Franco Leoni

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1905

Average_duration

:

65:12

L'Oracolo is an opera in four acts composed by Franco Leoni. The opera was composed in 1904 and premiered on 17 November 1905 at the Teatro Lirico in Milan. The libretto was written by Camillo Zanoni and is based on a play by Carlo Lombardo. The plot of L'Oracolo revolves around the character of Cim-Fen, a Chinese shopkeeper who runs a gambling den in San Francisco's Chinatown. Cim-Fen is in love with Ah-Joe, a young Chinese girl who works in his shop. However, Ah-Joe is in love with San-Lui, a wealthy Chinese man who is engaged to the daughter of a prominent Chinese family. As the story unfolds, Cim-Fen becomes increasingly jealous of San-Lui and plots to kill him. He hires a hitman, but the plan goes awry and Ah-Joe is killed instead. Cim-Fen is consumed with guilt and eventually confesses to the murder. The music of L'Oracolo is characterized by its use of exotic melodies and harmonies, reflecting the opera's setting in Chinatown. The score also features a number of dramatic arias and ensembles, including Cim-Fen's aria "Un bacio ancora" and the quartet "Ah-Joe, San-Lui, Cim-Fen, and the Hitman." L'Oracolo was well-received at its premiere and enjoyed a successful run in Milan. However, the opera has since fallen into obscurity and is rarely performed today. Despite this, L'Oracolo remains an important work in the history of Italian opera, showcasing the influence of exoticism and Orientalism on turn-of-the-century opera.

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