Stiffelio: A Tale of Sex and Forgiveness

Verdi's Stiffelio deals with sex, love, adultery and the lives of the clergy. The opera tells the story of a Protestant minister, Stiffelio and his unfaithful wife Lina and how Stiffelio faces the passions aroused by his wife's infidelity and his role as the respected leader of his congregation. It is not surprising that the Italian censors had problems with the libretto. The censors decimated the opera and it has only been very recently that the opera has been reconstructed.