LA FAVORITA " La Favorita " is a grand opera in four acts. Its music is by Gaetano Donizetti and its text by Alphonse Royer and Gustave. Waez. In its present form it was first produced at the Academie, Paris, Dec. 2, 1840. It is adapted from a drama of Baculard-Darnaud, " Le Comte de Comminges." Alphonso, King of Castile.
Fernando, a young novice of the Convent of St. James. Don Gaspar, the King's Minister.
Balthazar, Superior of the Convent of St. James. Leonora, the King's favorite.
Inez, her confidante.
Courtiers, guards, monks, pilgrims, attendants, ladies of the court, Spanish maidens.
The scene is laid in Spain, and the opera opens as Fernando, a novice, is about to take monastic vows. His prospective renunciation of the world is suddenly made distasteful to him by the sight of a beautiful woman at her devotions. He falls so desperately in love that he confesses his plight to Balthazar and, renouncing his vows, goes out into the world. Balthazar warns him that he will regret his act and that he will return to the cloister to hide his shame and sorrow.
The woman who thus has wrought havoc in his life is Leonora de Gusman, the favorite of Alphonso XI., who frequently visits her in her retreat on the island of St. Leon, and who desires to cast aside his own queen to marry her. Of all this Fernando is, of course, wholly ignorant. He discovers her asylum and there makes haste to declare his passion which, he finds, is returned. She refuses to go with him at once but asks him first to win military honor for her sake. With the commission which she has secured for him from the King, he goes forth to fight against the Moors. From the pomp and circumstances by which she is sur rounded, he is led to fear that Leonora is of royal blood and far above his aspirations.
He is successful in winning the glory Leonora has desired and comes back from the wars to claim her hand.
Alphonso, over whose head has been placed the threat of the Papal anathema unless he give up Leonora forever and renounce his plan of divorcing his queen, is ready to give Leonora to Fernando. She, feeling that her former rela tions with the king make her unworthy to wed the man she loves, sends a letter confessing everything, and begging forgiveness. Alphonso intercepts this letter to Fernando and the marriage takes place.
Fernando discovers the disgrace which has overtaken him only when the courtiers shun and scorn him after the wedding. In despair and consternation he renounces all his honors, breaks his sword and returns to the cloister. Thither Leonora follows him and dies at his feet. As Bal thazar bids the priests pray for the dead woman, Fernando murmurs, O Heaven! tomorrow those same prayers will be spoken for me.
" La Favorita," although rarely sung nowadays out side of Italy and France, contains a wealth of melody which entitles it to a place among the most notable of the Donizetti scores. Fernando's aria, " Una Vergine " ("A Vision ") in the first act, wherein he describes Leonora's beauty, is of rare lyric loveliness, while his " Sperto gentil " (" Spirit of Light ") in the fourth act is one of the most exquisite romanzas for tenors ever written. Leonora's " 0 mio Fernando " in Act III has been heard the world over from contraltos, both noted and otherwise, and is still admired. The music of the threat of the Papal anathema, sung by Balthazar in the second act, and of the great finale which follows it are among the most truly dramatic pages Donizetti has left us.