from Act I of the Italian opera
Ascanio in Alba by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto: Abbate Giuseppe Parini
Role: Silvia, a nymph who is the descendant of Hercules
Voice Part: soprano Fach: lyric coloratura
Setting: an altar in the countryside
Synopsis: Silvia is depressed because she has been told that she will marry someone other than her love. She despairs because she cannot control the love that has gripped her.