Adelia (opera)

Adelia, o La figlia dell'arciere is an opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written partly by Felice Romani and by, a part-time poet who had achieved notability the previous year with Otto Nicolai's Il templario. The opera premiered at the Teatro Apollo, Rome on 11 February 1841.

Synopsis

The story features the protagonist, Adelia, the daughter of Arnoldo, one of Duke Carlo's bodyguards. The Duke returns from a successful battle to find a fellow nobleman, Count Oliviero, leaving Arnoldo's house which is on Carlo's estate. The chorus then sing rumors that Oliviero has slept with Adelia, taking her virginity. The Duke sentences Oliviero to death for this perceived transgression, but the other characters prevent this. By the end of the opera, all agree to the marriage.

Notable arias and numbers

Act 1

Arnoldo: "Siam giunti"
Adelia: "Fui presaga; ah, tu lo vedi"

Act 2

Duet: Adelia and Arnoldo: "Ah, no, non posso"
Duet: Adelia and Oliviero: "Tutto di te sollecito"

Act 3

Oliviero: "Che fia di me!"
Adelia: "Ah! mi lasciate"