Ah! perfido
| "Ah! perfido" | |
|---|---|
| Concert aria by Ludwig van Beethoven | |
Josepha Duschek in 1796, when she was the first soloist of the concert aria | |
| English | Ah! Deceiver |
| Key | C major/E-flat major |
| Opus | 65 |
| Text |
|
| Language | Italian |
| Performed | 21 November 1796: Leipzig |
| Scoring | soprano and orchestra |
"Ah! perfido" (Ah! Deceiver), Op. 65, is a concert aria for soprano and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven. The dramatic scena begins with a recitative in C major, taken from Pietro Metastasio's Achille in Sciro. The aria "Per pietà, non dirmi addio" (For pity's sake, do not bid me farewell) is set in the key of E-flat major, and its lyricist is anonymous. A performance takes about 14 minutes.