from Act I of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, fourth husband of Lucrezia Borgia

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric bass|heavy bass

Setting: a public place in Ferrara, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: Duke Alfonso has found that his wife is the lover of a young nobleman named Gennaro. He vows vengeance upon Gennaro and expresses his fury at the audacity of Lucrezia.

from Prologo of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Gennaro, a young nobleman who is, unbeknownst to him, the son of Lucrezia Borgia

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: Venice, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: Not knowing that she is his mother, Gennaro tells Lucrezia Borgia that he is apparently the son of a humble fisherman and was found by a knight who told him of his nobility.

from Prologo of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Lucrezia Borgia, husband of Don Alfonso

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic soprano

Setting: Venice, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: As Lucrezia Borgia sees her son, Gennaro, for the first time as an adult, she sings of her love for him.

from Act II of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Lucrezia Borgia, husband of Don Alfonso

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic soprano

Setting: a ball at Princess Negroni's palace in Ferrara, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: As her son Gennaro dies in her arms from poison that she accidentally gave him, Lucrezia says that if he had decided to live, she might have somehow found heaven. However, his distaste for the Borgia family makes him refuse to take the antidote and instead escape his self-hatred by letting himself die.

from Act II of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Lucrezia Borgia, husband of Don Alfonso

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic soprano

Setting: a ball at Princess Negroni's palace in Ferrara, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: As her son Gennaro drinks poison along with the rest of the party-goers at the ball, Lucrezia offers him the poison's antidote, begging him to drink. She tells him that he can hate her but that he shouldn't consign himself to death.

from Act II of the Italian opera Lucrezia Borgia by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto: Felice Romani

Role: Maffio Orsini, one of Gennaro's best friends

Voice Part: contralto       Fach: contralto

Setting: a ball at Princess Negroni's palace in Ferrara, Italy, early 1500's

Synopsis: Maffio Orsini sings a drinking song about Maffio's concept of the secret to happiness, which is to spend as much time as possible drinking and partying.