from Act III, Scene 1 of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: Guy de Montfort (Guido di Monforte), the Governor of Sicily under the rule of Charles d'Anjou, king of Naples

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: a room in Montfort's palace, Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: Montfort finds out that the son he had with a Sicilian woman eighteen years ago is one of the Sicilian rebels. He goes on to sing that, although he feels distanced from the rest of society because of his power, his life is kept buoyant with the news of his son being alive.

from Act V of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: Henri (Arrigo), a young Sicilian

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: spinto

Setting: the gardens of the palace of Montfort, Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: After being married to Hélène, Henri sings of his love for her sweetly and charmingly.

from Act IV of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: Henri (Arrigo), a young Sicilian

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: spinto

Setting: the courtyard of a castle, Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: Henri worries that Hélène and Procida will not accept his reasons for betraying their plot to kill Governor Montfort. Although he wants to free Sicily from the oppression of the French, he has recently found out that Montfort was his father and thus does not want him to be killed.

from Act II of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: Jean Procida (Giovanni da Procida), a Sicilian doctor

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass

Setting: A valley near Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: Procida is returning to Sicily after an absence to attempt to gather help to free Sicily from the oppression of the French. He sings of the vengeance he will help his country obtain.

from Act II of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: Jean Procida (Giovanni da Procida), a Sicilian doctor

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass

Setting: A valley near Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: Procida is returning to Sicily after an absence to attempt to gather help to free Sicily from the oppression of the French. He sings of his love for his country and how he went from place to place trying to get help although everyone said that they would only give help if the Sicilians revolted against the French.

from Act V of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: La Duchesse Hélène (La Duchessa Elena), Duke Frederick of Austria's sister

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the gardens of the palace of Montfort, Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: Before being married to Henri, Hélène sings of her great joy in a dance-like fashion that is more akin to a Spanish bolero than a siciliana. At the same time, her joy has been tempered because she has discovered that their wedding bells will be the signal for the Sicilian uprising and massacre of the French.

from Act I of the French|Italian opera Les Vêpres Siciliennes (I Vespri Siciliani) by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Eugène Scribe

Role: La Duchesse Hélène (La Duchessa Elena), Duke Frederick of Austria's sister

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the main square of Palermo, 1282

Synopsis: During the 13th century French occupation of Sicily, Elena seeks the liberation of her country. She is saved from execution and plans to wed Arrigo. When she receives flowers from her friends, she shares her joy with them. However, the bells announcing her wedding serve as a signal for the Sicilians to revolt against the French, and the seemingly happy day ends in tragedy.