About the work
Opera in a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, first performed on 15 February 1845 at La Scala in Milan as his seventh opera. Temistocle Solera's libretto draws loosely on Schiller's play 'Die Jungfrau von Orleans' (The Maid of Orleans), condensing its five acts and 27 characters to a handful of roles and altering the ending.
Plot
The young Giovanna leads French troops under King Carlo VII to victory over the English at Orléans. Torn between her religious calling and her love for the king, she is publicly denounced as a witch by her own father Giacomo, who mistakes her love for a pact with the devil. He recognises his error only at the end, and Giovanna dies in battle, hailed as a saint.
Cultural significance
Critics were unenthusiastic at the premiere, while audiences responded with excitement. Giovanna d'Arco has never entered the core repertoire, but has seen a growing number of new productions in recent years, championed by prominent sopranos drawn to its title role.