Celos aun del air matan

Opera

Writers: Juan Hidalgo Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Overview

Show Information

Music
Based on the Play/Book/Film
Ovid's Metamorphoses Book VII
Category
Opera
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1660
Genres
Drama, Comedy, Romance
Settings
Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Ancient Greece, Ancient Times, Temple of Diana
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal for
College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Female Cast, High School, Chamber Opera, All-Female Cast
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes young adult, adult, mature adult characters

Synopsis

When Diana finds out that one of her nymphs has broken her vow of chastity and has been meeting with a shepherd in the garden of the temple at night, she wants to punish everyone involved. She ties Aura to a tree, hoping that her lover will reveal himself and try to rescue her, but the goddess Venus intervenes in Diana’s plot, and transforms Aura into the wind. Aura’s lover, Erostrato vows to follow Aura, and get his vengeance against Diana for separating them.

Meanwhile, Céfalo has been wandering through the forest, looking for opportunities to demonstrate his heroism. He sees Aura tied to a tree and tries to help this distressed damsel, but he is quickly distracted by another beautiful nymph, and vows to steal her away from Diana’s service.

When Erostrato sets Diana’s temple on fire, he thinks he has finally got the vengeance he was longing for, but Diana has far more firepower in her arsenal. She summons the three furies, Megera, Alecto, and Tesífone, and charges them to wreak her vengeance against the three who have betrayed her.

Based on the myth of Cephalus and Procris, Hidalgo’s Celos aun del aire matan is widely considered to be the first Spanish language opera, and builds on the work of Hidalgo’s contemporaries, such as Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi.

Lead Characters


Celos aun del air matan guide sections