About the work
Silla (Lucio Cornelio Silla) is an opera seria by George Frideric Handel to a libretto by Giacomo Rossi. It was probably written in 1713 to mark the arrival of the new French ambassador, the Duc d'Aumont, whose appointment restored diplomatic relations between Britain and France after the War of the Spanish Succession; a printed dedication by Rossi to the ambassador is dated 2 June 1713.
Plot
The Roman dictator Silla returns victorious and declares himself sole lawgiver. His wife Metella and the tribune Lepido oppose his tyranny and his attempted seductions; a counter-scheme by Metella involving faked executions eventually leads Silla to renounce his tyranny and retire with Metella, while the young couple Claudio and Celia marry.
Cultural significance
As a piece written for a single occasion, Silla was probably performed only once, and neither the venue nor the exact occasion is securely documented. Handel later reused parts of its music in his opera "Amadigi di Gaula".