This operatic version tells of the myth of Andromeda, condemned to be sacrificed to a sea monster. However she is saved by the hero Perseus. She is obliged to marry Euristeus, heir to the kingdom of Argos, but is in love with Perseus. In this aria Andromeda berates Euristeus with an emotional fury at the apparent suicide of Perseus. She believes he failed to prevent Perseus’s death. Andromeda then reflects to (the absent) Perseus with an intense grief. The recitative and aria K272 ends in a gentle cavatina "Deh, non vacar", with a quiet ending in B-flat major. The passionate writing hints at later roles for operatic soprano, such as Elektra in Idomeneo, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
