Il pastor fido

To redress an ancient wrong, the gods of Arcadia every year demand the sacrifice of a virgin.

One day Dorinda, seeking to watch Silvio as he hunts, disguises herself as a shepherd wearing wolfskin clothes.

The two are discovered by the priest Montano (Silvio's father), who condemns Amarilli to die as a sacrifice to the gods.

Prior to publication he sought the advice of Florentine scholar Lionardo Salviati, who also circulated the manuscript among other members of the private Accademia degli Alterati of Florence.

[2] The play had its first complete performance in Turin, in 1585, in honor of the nuptials of the Duke of Savoy and Catharine of Austria.

[4] The play's enduring fame inspired numerous madrigal composers of the 17th century, among them Giaches de Wert, Claudio Monteverdi, Sigismondo d'India, Alessandro Grandi, Tarquinio Merula, and Heinrich Schütz; Philippe de Monte named a volume after the play.

[citation needed] The Il pastor fido sonatas for Musette de cour or flute published as Vivaldi's opus 13 are in fact by Nicolas Chédeville.