Mozart composed this opera aria in 1776. The text, taken from the opera Arsace, describes the bitter parting of two lovers who wonder if they will ever see each other again. The aria is composed in rondo form, with words of tender farewell sung in the slower tempo and words of despair (railing against cruel fate) sung in the faster sections.
Ombra Felice, Io ti lascio
Recitative and Aria for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra, K. 255
Composed in 1776
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart