LUCREZIA BORGIA,  AN EXCITING OPERA

Written by Gaetano Donizetti, the opera is played in two parts with a proligue. Based on the libretto by Victor Hugo which in turn is based on the legend of Lucrezia. The opera premiered at La Scala the famous theatre in Milan on 26th December 1833, and was first performed in London on 1839. Often used as a vehicle for showcasing a star soprano, some of the notable performers of the role of Lucrezia include Thérèse Tietjens, Montserrat Caballé, Renée Fleming and Edita Gruberová. The opera is unusual for having the role of a male character sung by a female contralto.

HISTORY

Based in Venice and Ferrara in Italy in the early 16th century, the opera tells the tale of Lucrezia, the infamous daughter of Pope Alexander, who is said to poison her enemies. Inadvertently responsible for the death of her illegitimate son Gennaro, Lucrezia is devastated.

Prologue

On the terrace of a palace in Venice, Gennaro falls asleep after drinking at the festival. He wakes to find Lucrezia standing over him wearing a carnival mask and tells her he is the son of a poor fisherman, not knowing that she is in fact his mother. Two of Gennaro's friends arrive and Maffeo Orsini tears Lucrezia's mask off and tells him that she is one of the hated Borgias who poisoned his brother and the brother of his friend. Gennaro turns from Lucrezia in horror and she faints.

Act 1

Lucrezia is in a palace in Ferrara with her fourth husband, Alfonso. She has poisoned his predecessor. Alfonso is jealous of Gennaro and not knowing that his wife is Gennaro's mother, thinks he is her lover. Gennaro comes to the palace and sees the name BORGIA which he defaces to read 'orgy' by removing the letter B. Not knowing who committed the outrage, Lucrezia demands that they be put to death. Alfonso makes her stand by her pledge and makes her give Gennaro poisoned wine. Lucrezia has hidden the antidote and gives it to Gennaro before making him flee Ferrara.

Act 2

At a banquet in the Negroni Palace in Venice, Gennaro attends having ignored Lucrezia's advice to flee as he has sworn to stay with his friend Matteo Orsini. As a drinking song is in full swing, Lucrezia comes in and tells them that she has poisoned the wine and that five coffins are waiting for them in return for their insults. Gennaro steps up and tells her that she has poisoned him too. He grabs a knife and tries to kill her but Lucrezia tries to get him to stop by revealing that she is his mother. She tries to get him to take the antidote again, but he refuses, preferring to die with his friends. A scene at the end shows her mourning her dead son.

THE MAIN ROLES

Alfonso d'Este Lucrzias fourth husband and Duke of Ferrara - bass
Lucrezia Borgia - soprano
Maffio Orsini, friend of Gennaro - contralto
Marietta Brambilla
Gennaro, young noble and illegitimate son of Lucrezia - tenor