|
The story takes place against the backdrop of a Venetian carnival in the 15th century; the house of Simone Trovai, military commander of the Venetian Republic, is full of flowers, garlands and cheerful staff. Meanwhile, Trovai calls his soldiers to order and asks his maids to search for his wife Violanta who he believes is attending the carnival. However, rather than join the celebrations, she instead intends to find her arch enemy, Alfonso - the King of Naples's son who previously abducted Violanta's sister leading ultimately to her suicide - who has come to the city for the festival. Violanta appears in a doorway, she flirts with the detested Alfonso as he moors his boat in front of the house. Violanta has hatched a plan: when she sings the carnival song, her husband will appear from his chamber and kill the abductor. But things turn out quite differently. Alfonso falls in love with Violanta and is willing to die for his past deeds, he speaks with great sincerity, profoundly moving Violanta with his honest protestations of love which awaken a passion in Violanta that she has never experienced in her loveless marriage with Simone. Violanta cannot bring herself to sing the carnival song which would reveal the presence of Alfonso, proclaims her love for him and pleads with her husband to spare him. When Simone draws his dagger to stab his foe, she falls into the arms of her husband and dies.
|