About the work
Four-act "legend" (opera) by Alberto Franchetti, libretto by Ferdinando Fontana, premiered on 11 February 1888 at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio nell'Emilia – Franchetti's operatic debut.
Plot
The fallen angel Asrael is granted a year on Earth: if he wins a soul for Hell, he remains a demon; if not, he faces eternal damnation. On Earth he meets the fisherwoman Loretta, who discovers his true nature; only his former beloved Nefta, returned as the nun Clotilde, leads him to redemption through repentance and prayer.
Cultural significance
Contemporary reports describe the premiere being celebrated with 38 curtain calls; the work quickly reached international stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1890. Under the impact of Italy's racial laws, the opera vanished from repertoires after 1926; Oper Bonn brought it back in a widely noted new production in 2022.