- Vincenzo Bellini. Tragedia lirica in two acts. 1833.
- Libretto by Felice Romani, after the play of the same name by Carl Tedaldi-Fores.
- First performance at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, on 16th March 1833.
CHARACTERS
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| Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan | baritone |
| Beatrice di Tenda, his wife | soprano |
| Agnese del Maino, loved by Filippo | mezzo-soprano |
| Orombello, Lord of Ventimiglia | tenor |
| Abichino, his friend, former minister to |
| Facino, Duke of Milan | tenor |
| Rizzardo del Maino, brother of Agnese | tenor |
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Filippo Visconti has married the widow of Facino, Duke of Milan, Beatrice di Tenda, becoming
Duke himself. He loves Agnese del Maino. Orombello vows to support her, and is surprised
together with Beatrice by Visconti. Under torture Orombello implicates Beatrice, who herself must
be tortured, to elicit a confession of infidelity. Visconti hesitates briefly, but resolves to put his wife
to death. Agnese confesses her part in a plot to discredit Beatrice, who forgives her and Visconti as
she goes to her death.
The work is Bellini's penultimate opera, coming after Norma and to be followed in 1835 by I
Puritani. The overture makes use also of Beatrice's prayer before the statue of her first husband,
Deh! se mi amasti un giorno (Ah! If once you loved me), before she is joined by Orombello and
surprised together with him by her second husband, Visconti.
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