This acclaimed edition of Scarlatti's operas is making available authentic versions of the works of one of the key figures in the history of opera. La Caduta (1697) is a pivotal work, bridging the composer's middle and late stylistic periods. It is the first of several collaborations with the noted librettist Silvio Stampiglia, whose characteristic intermingling of serious and comic elements is particularly effective in this work. In her introduction, Hermine Williams discusses the opera itself and performance practices. A translation of the libretto is provided.

Hermine Weigel Williams is Lecturer in Religion and the Arts, Hamilton College.

The Scarlatti operas now published are Eraclea, Marco Attilio Regolo, Griselda, The Faithful Princess, and Massimo Puppieno.