Giuseppe Verdi's classic 1862 opera La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) is based on a Spanish drama following the ill fate of two lovers, Leonora, the Marquis of Calatrava's daughter, and Don Alvaro, a South American nobleman of indigenous ancestry living in Seville. The four-act tragedy contains themes of class, ethnicity, and war, as personal vendettas and familial entanglements keep the lovers apart until finally, they meet once again--only to be tragically torn apart. The heart-wrenching and emotional score by Verdi has been heralded for its eloquent containment of the plot's drama, and its tender ability to bring the lovers' struggle to life.
