Servilia (opera)

Servilia (Russian: Сервилия, romanized: Servilya listenⓘ, the name of a main character), is an opera in five acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

It was the only one of Rimsky's late operas not performed in Mamontov's private theatre - conducted by Feliks Blumenfeld.

Only one aria, the Act 3 "my flowers" aria of Servilia («Цветы мои, и вы в палящий полдень»), has survived in the concert repertoire, and was recently recorded in 2006 by Renée Fleming for a Decca recital under Valery Gergiev.

Servilia, daughter of the senator Soranus, is desired by her father to contract an alliance with Trasea, but the latter, hearing of her preference for his adopted son Valerius, withdraws his suit.

The sudden reappearance of her lover causes Servilia's death, and Valerius is only prevented from destroying himself by the intervention of his foster-father.