Conchita (opera)

Conchita is an opera in four acts by Riccardo Zandonai to an Italian libretto by Maurizio Vaucaire and Carlo Zangarini, based on the novel La Femme et le Pantin (The Woman and the Puppet) by Pierre Louÿs.

The opera premiered on 19 April 1911 at the Teatro dal Verme in Milan. The story is set in Seville, Spain and tells of the passionate and destructive relationship between Conchita, a young gypsy woman, and Mateo, a wealthy and infatuated man.

Conchita is known for its verismo style, characterized by dramatic intensity, realistic characters, and emotionally charged music. The opera explores themes of desire, obsession, freedom, and the clash between different social classes. While not as frequently performed as some other verismo operas, Conchita contains memorable arias and duets and provides a challenging dramatic role for the soprano playing the title character. Key musical features include the effective use of Spanish folk melodies and rhythms, as well as lush orchestration to convey the passionate emotions of the characters.