About the work
Fairy-tale opera in three acts (op. 50) by Alfredo Casella after Carlo Gozzi's 1762 fiaba 'La donna serpente', with a libretto by Cesare Vico Lodovici. Casella composed the work, according to his own note in the score, between 16 October 1928 and 22 October 1931; it premiered on 17 March 1932 at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera in Rome.
Plot
In legendary Tiflis and the Caucasus mountains, King Altidòr falls in love with the fairy Miranda, who gives up her immortality to marry him. Her father, the fairy king Demogorgòn, sets a condition: Altidòr may live with her for nine years without learning her true origin, and must never curse her, or she will be turned into a serpent for two hundred years. When Altidòr breaks his oath, he must win her back through a heroic struggle before the curse is finally lifted.
Cultural significance
Despite an elaborate production and attentive reviews, the 1932 Rome premiere did not bring lasting success, and staged performances in Italy remained rare thereafter, though the work was repeatedly broadcast on radio. Casella, who had been drawn to Gozzi's fairy tale since the early 1920s, created one of his most extensive works for the stage.