Love, jealousy, vengeance, and forgiveness are the core emotions in this, the eighth of Verdi's 28 operas. Alzira is based on a play by Voltaire. What it lacks in fully developed, rounded characters and extended arias, it makes up in swift, sharply focused dramatic power. Some crudities of Verdi's early style are still present, but so is ample evidence of the composer's maturity: orchestral subtleties, glowing lyric moments, and, in the spacious buildup of the finale, a mastery that weaves together complex emotional and musical strands.