Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian Opera La forza del destino
Composed:1861 (revised 1867-68)
First Performance:November 10, 1862, Imperial Theater, St. Petersburg (Russia)
Libretto:Francesco Maria Piave, based on Saavedra’s play Álvaro, o La fuerza del sino
Setting: Italy and Spain, 18th century
Opera in 4 acts
The Main Characters in Verdi’s opera La forza del destino
- Marchese di Calatrava, (bass)
- Leonora, Calatrava’s daughter (soprano)
- Don Carlo, Calatrava’s son (baritone)
- Don Alvaro, Leonora’s lover, half-caste Inca prince (tenor)
- Preziosilla, A gypsy (mezzo-soprano)
- Father Superior (bass)
Basic Plot Summary of Verdi’sopera La forza del destino
Act I:
Leonora wishes to stay loyal to her father, Marchese di Calatrava, but is torn because she wishes to elope with her South American lover, Alvaro. She agrees to leave with Alvaro. The Marchese arrives and challenges Alvaro. As he tries to surrender, Alvaro throws down his gun, and it goes off, accidentally killing the Marchese. As he is dieing, Calatrava curses his daughter.
Act II:
The lovers are separated. Leonora (disguised as a man) begins her search for Alvaro. She starts at the inn. Don Carlo, the Marchese’s son and Leonora’s brother, is also at an inn. He tells the disguised Leonora that he is searching for a foreigner who murdered a dear friends father and has kidnapped his sister. A gypsy at the inn predicts a terrible future. Leonora, still disguised, takes refuge at a monastery, where none will know who she is. Leonora is convinced that Alvaro has deserted her.
Act III:
Alvaro believes that Leonora is dead. Alvaro has joined the Spanish army in Italy. Alvaro rescues Carlo in a battle. The two do not recognize each other and become friends. Alvaro is wounded. Carlo finds a picture of his sister, Leonora in Alvaro’s things. Carlo challenges Alvaro to a duel. Though Alvaro claims that he didn’t seduce Leonora, Carlo insists that both Alvaro and Leonora must die. As they are about to duel, it is interrupted. Carlo is dragged away, and Alvaro decides to enter a monastery to take refuge.
Act IV:
Years later, Carlo finds Alvaro at the Monastery and challenges him to another duel. Carlo is mortally wounded. He cries out for a priest. Alvaro runs into Leonora’s cave. They recognize one another and he tells her that he has wounded her brother. Leonora rushes to help Carlo. When she reappears, Carlo, as an act of revenge, has wounded her. As she dies, she pardons Alvaro. The curse of her father is fulfilled.
If you like La forza del destino, here are some other operas written by Verdi:
- Nabucco
- I Lombardi alla prima crociata
- Ernani
- Attila
- Macbeth
- Luisa Miller
- Rigoletto
- Il Trovatore
- La Traviata
- Simon Boccanegra
- Un ballo in maschera
- La forza del destino
- Don Carlos
- Aida
- Otello
- Falstaff
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