Composer

:

Giovanni Alberto Ristori

Genre

:

Vocal

Average_duration

:

5:52

'Lavinia a Turno' is an opera seria composed by Giovanni Alberto Ristori. It premiered on January 26, 1728, at the Teatro delle Dame in Rome. The libretto was written by Apostolo Zeno, a prominent librettist of the time. The opera consists of three acts and tells the story of Lavinia, the daughter of the king of Latium, who is promised in marriage to Turnus, the leader of the Rutuli. However, Lavinia is in love with Aeneas, the Trojan prince who has come to Italy to found a new city. The conflict between the two men leads to a tragic ending. The first act opens with a chorus of Latins praising the beauty of Lavinia. Aeneas arrives and declares his love for her, but she tells him that she is already promised to Turnus. Aeneas is heartbroken but decides to leave Latium. In the second act, Turnus arrives and demands that Lavinia marry him. She refuses, and Turnus challenges Aeneas to a duel. Aeneas wins, but Lavinia is still torn between her love for him and her duty to her father. In the final act, Lavinia's father orders her to marry Turnus, but she refuses and stabs herself. Aeneas arrives too late to save her and mourns her death. The music of 'Lavinia a Turno' is typical of the opera seria style, with recitatives and arias that showcase the vocal abilities of the singers. The arias are often in da capo form, with a repeated section that allows the singer to embellish the melody. The orchestration is relatively simple, with strings, oboes, and horns providing accompaniment. Overall, 'Lavinia a Turno' is a tragic love story that explores the conflict between duty and passion. It was well-received at its premiere and remained popular throughout the 18th century. Today, it is less well-known than some of Ristori's other works, but it remains an important example of the opera seria genre.

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