About the work
Goya is a three-act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti to his own English libretto about the life of the painter Francisco de Goya. Prompted by tenor Plácido Domingo, who sang the title role, it premiered on November 15, 1986, in Washington, D.C.
Plot
The young painter Francisco de Goya falls in love with the Duchess of Alba and is drawn into a power struggle between her and the Spanish queen. After the duchess's death, Goya comes to see his work as serving a higher purpose. The opera closes with glimpses of his final years in exile in Bordeaux, France, where he died in 1828.
Cultural significance
The title role was written specifically for Plácido Domingo, who created it at the premiere; the opera belongs to Menotti's late works, performed only rarely since and documented mainly through its original production.