| La falena | |
| Composer: | Antonio Smareglia |
| Librettist: | Silvio Benco |
| Language: | Italian |
| Premiere Location: | Teatro Rossini, Venice |
La falena (The Moth-Woman) is a leggenda or opera in three acts by composer Antonio Smareglia with an Italian libretto by . The opera premiered at the Teatro Rossini in Venice on 6 September 1897.[1]
La falena is a through composed opera containing an all-pervasive symphonic movement which is only broken in between acts. The music for the extended Act 2 duet between the virtuous king and the evil protagonist is particularly thrilling. The two men move as hallucinatory figures as the music rages with nightmarish obsessive urges that heighten the opera's drama.[1]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 6 September 1897 (Conductor: Gialdino Gialdini) |
|---|---|---|
| Albina | soprano | Emma Carelli |
| King Stellio | tenor | Alfonso Garulli |
| Uberto | baritone | Vittorio Brombara |
| Falena | mezzo-soprano | Alice Cucini |