dorisopran@a... wrote:
Could Karen and/or other resident rep mavins
> shed light on La Vestale? That's a new one for me. Composer,
> characters / faches, synopsis????
The following is from my handy-dandy computer-side reference work:
La Vestale. Composed by Gaspare Spontini, premiered 1807, set in Rome "in the
Roman Year
269". Licinius is the tenor, Julia is the soprano.
Act 1. Before the latest war, L fell in love with J and asked to marry her, but
her father
refused. L is now a victorious general, and returns to town, but J's father is
dead and J
became a vestal virgin. L tells J he'll meet her at the temple. End of Act 1
Act 2. L meets J in the temple, where she's guarding the sacred flame. The
flame goes
out. A clued in crowd gathers. L wants J to take off with him, she refuses.
She's
arrested and condemed for violating her vestal virgin oath. End of Act 2
Act 3. L's friend promises to stick by him. L appeals to the big-shot to spare
J but no
luck. L gathers his soldiers and is about to battle when the nearby volcano
erupts, and
the vestal flame is relighted by the vocano's flames. Taken as a sign, the
big-shot frees
J. J and L are married. End of Opera.
Aren't you glad you asked? Somehow, I doubt either of us will get to see this
one in the
opera house in our lifetimes!
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
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