Augurissimi | Happy Birthday Gaetano Donizetti. Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal grand opera, 1843 - Donizetti′s tribute to Portugal.

Donizetti considered Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal (1843), his final completed opera written for the Paris Opéra, to be his masterpiece. In spite of its relative obscurity, on the basis of this recording, one is inclined to agree with him. The opera has several attributes that in the past have proved to be obstacles to its popularity. The first is its length -- it's in five substantial acts and lasts three hours, but that's not so onerous for contemporary audiences accustomed to Wagner and Strauss. Besides, the composer created an abbreviated version for Viennese audiences, who at that time wanted to be out of the theater by 10 p.m., and that version could be used if necessary. The extravagant scenic and musical demands (at the premiere, there were 500 people on-stage at one point) put the opera outside the capability of all but the largest companies. A third difficulty for early audiences was the relentlessly dark subject matter; besides the many personal tragedies that make up the plot, the opera is ultimately a national tragedy as well -- at the finale, Portugal has been lost to Spain, whose ships are seen approaching over the horizon as the curtain falls. 

Portrait of King Sebastian I of Portugal by Cristóv?o de Morais, 1571. Commissioned by Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal. Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga , Lisbon. Portugal

Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal (Don Sebastian, King of Portugal) is a French grand opera in five acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe, based on Paul Foucher's play Don Sébastien de Portugal which premiered at the Théatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin on 9 November 1838

Newborn Hereditary Prince of Portugal, Sebastian of Avis (later King Sebastian I of Portugal), in a 1554 miniature.

It is a historic-fiction about King Sebastian of Portugal (1554-1578) and his ill-fated 1578 expedition to Morocco. The opera premiered on 13 November 1843 at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opéra. This was the last opera that Donizetti completed before going insane as a result of syphilis.

At the time, Donizetti was attempting to compose an opera competitive with similar historical operas by Daniel Auber, Fromental Halévy and Giacomo Meyerbeer. One critical description of the nature of Dom Sébastien is "a funeral in five acts". By contrast, Winton Dean has described the main characteristic of the opera as "uncompromising dramatic honesty" in his comments on unusual dramatic facets of the work. Mary Ann Smart has prepared a critical edition of the opera in French, which includes appendices with variants and additions that Donizetti made for a production in German in Vienna in 1845.

Woodcut portraying Lisbon in 1553, illustrating a compilation of writings by the ancient Greek historian Polybius.

Synopsis: Time: 16th century Place: Lisbon and Morocco

Act 1 - Lisbon

The Christian king, Dom Sébastian, leaves his uncle Dom Antonio to rule Portugal while he goes on a crusade against the Moors of Africa. Sébastian's entourage includes the idealistic poet Camo?ns and the Moor princess Zayda, whom he had rescued from being burnt at stake for trying to escape the monastery she had resided in since her conversion to Christianity (O mon Dieu, sur la terre). He intends to return her to her father Ben-Selim.

Dom Sébastien, grand opéra de Donizetti. 2.me acte. Scène du champ de bataille. Duprez, Barroilhet, M.me Stoltz. Nanteuil, Célestin (1813-1873) - Bibliothèque nationale de France

Act 2 - Fez, Morocco

The Portuguese influence in Morocco

The reunion between Zayda and Ben-Selim is dampened by her refusal to marry the Moorish chief Abayaldos.

The Battle of Ksar El Kebir, also known as Battle of Three Kings, or "Battle of Oued El Makhazeen" in Morocco, and Battle of Alcácer Quibir in Portugal (variant spellings are legion: Alcácer-Quivir, Alcazarquivir, Alcassar, meaning grand castle in Arabic), was fought in northern Morocco, near the town of Ksar-el-Kebir and Larache, on 4 August 1578. The combatants were the army of the deposed Moroccan Sultan Abu Abdallah Mohammed II, with his ally, the King of Portugal Sebastian I, and a large Moroccan army nominally under the new Sultan of Morocco (and uncle of Abu Abdallah Mohammed II) Abd Al-Malik I.

A battlefield in Morocco

Abayaldos has led the Moors to battle against Sébastian's forces and mostly wiped them out. The wounded Sébastian's life is saved only when his lieutenant Dom Henrique presents himself to Abayaldos as Sébastian, before expiring from his own wounds, and Zayda pleads for "the Christian's" life (the real Sébastian) in return for her consent to marry Abayaldos, reasoning that her life was saved by a Christian during her captivity in Portugal and that the favor must be returned. Sébastian is left on the battlefield a broken man (Seul sur la terre).

Act 3 in the original production, as the Grand Inquisitor orders the arrest of Dom Sébastien (engraving from L'Illustration)

Illustration of Act III of Donizetti's Dom Sébastien as presented in the original production at the Paris Opera's Salle Le Peletier on 13 November 1843. Engraving published in L'Illustration. The Grand Inquisitor orders the arrest of Dom Sébastien.

Act 3 - A public square, Lisbon

Cam?es | Camo?ns has survived the battle and returned to Lisbon (O Lisbonne, o ma patrie!) where he learns that Antonio has aligned himself with the Spanish Grand Inquisitor Dom Juan de Sylva and usurped the throne. He runs into Sébastian, just as the funeral procession for the supposedly dead king passes by. Camo?ns causes a commotion in his outrage, and Sébastian is recognized by the people when he intervenes. Abayaldos, for his part, recognizes the lowly "Christian" whose life he had spared. Sébastian is jailed as an imposter.

King Sebastian Great helm used in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir.

Real Armeria de Madrid, Spain.

Act 4 - A court of law, Lisbon

At Sébastian's trial, Zayda proves her love for him by testifying to his true identity and how he escaped death. Abayaldos accuses her of infidelity, and now both Sébastian and Zayda are jailed, she for treason.

Dom Sebastien - Giuseppe Sabbatini

Zaida - Sonia Ganassi

Camo?ns - Carmelo Corrado Caruso

Dom Juan de Silva - Giorgio Surjan

Abayaldos - Nicolas Rivenq

Dom Henrique - Danilo Serraiocco

Dom Antonio - Pierre Lefebvre

Ben-Selim - Riccardo Zanellato

Dom Luis - Orfeo Zanetti

Soldat - Valerio Marletta

Tre Inquisitore - 

1 Martino Laterza

2 Giovanni Dattolo

3 Nicolo Rigano

Con

Carla Fracci

Gheorghe Iancu

Roberto Bolle

Conductor - Paolo Arrivabeni

Orchestra - Teatro Comunale di Bologna

Chorus - Teatro Comunale di Bologna

Coat of Arms of King Sebastian of Portugal.

The Lisbon Court

Eager to legitimize his deal with Spain, Antonio offers to spare Sébastian's life if Zayda can convince Sébastian to sign the official instrument selling Portugal to Spain. After first refusing, Sébastian signs. Free but distraught, Zayda runs out to drown herself.

A tower guarding the entrance to Lisbon Harbor (anachronistically the Belém Tower, symbol of Portuguese independence)

Georg Bauer and Hogenberg (engraver), Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Vol. 5 (Cologne: 1598). An accompanying Latin note calls Lisbon "the most noted center of trade for the entire Orient... and for Africa and America," adding "in historical times there where two cities we might call 'Ruler of the oceans and the high seas,' from whence ships could set sail for the East and the West: one is Seville, the other Lisbon."

Sébastian catches up with Zayda at the top of the tower. They see Camo?ns in a boat attempting to rescue them. Sébastian and Zayda climb down a rope to the boat but are discovered halfway down; they plunge to their deaths when the rope is slashed. Camo?ns is killed by gunfire and, at curtain, the Spanish fleet emerges on the horizon. Portugal has lost her independence.

Courtesy: