Roberto Devereux

Tragic opera in three acts by Salvadore Cammarano
Music by Gaetano Donizetti
First performed: Naples, Real Teatro di San Carlo, 28 October 1837
Critical edition by Julia Lockhart © Casa Ricordi, Milan, with the collaboration and support of the Comune di Bergamo and Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Cast

Conductor Riccardo Frizza
Directed by Stephen Langridge
Set and costume design by Katie Davenport
Lighting design by Peter Mumford
Puppet animation direction by Poppy Franziska
Assistant director Katerina Petsatodi

Elisabetta Jessica Pratt
Il duca di Nottingham Simone Piazzola
Sara Raffaella Lupinacci
Roberto Devereux John Osborn
Lord Cecil David Astorga
Sir Gualtiero Raleigh Ignas Melnikas*
Un famigliare di Nottingham e Un Cavaliere Fulvio Valenti

*Student of the Bottega Donizetti

Mime Luca Maino
Puppeteers for puppet animation Noemi Giannico, Matteo Moglianesi

Orchestra Donizetti Opera
Coro dell’Accademia Teatro alla Scala
Chorusmaster Salvo Sgrò

New production by Fondazione Teatro Donizetti in co-production with Teatro Sociale di Rovigo

L'opera in breve

London, «in the fall of the 16th century». Elizabetta I feels neglected by Roberto Devereux, Earl of Essex, with whom she is madly in love. Two of the Queen’s advisors, Lord Cecil and Raleigh, Essex’s enemies, ask her to charge him with treason for his lenient behaviour in the war against Spain. Elisabetta receives Roberto, who is detached and reserved. The Duke of Nottingham is also disturbed by the sadness of his wife Sara whom he has spotted embroidering a blue scarf: he therefore confides in Essex, ignoring the fact that his friend is himself in love with Sara. On a late-night rendezvous with the woman, Essex reproaches her for marrying Nottingham; Sara, on her part, reproaches him for wearing a ring on his finger given to him by the Queen, as a pledge of mercy in the event of his conviction. As a parting gift, Essex gives Sara Elisabetta’s ring and Sara hands him her scarf.
In the meantime, the parliament has condemned Essex, despite the impassioned defence of Nottingham, who has to inform the queen. Nottingham asks for a pardon for his friend; Elisabetta then shows him the scarf found in Essex’s palace during the search. Discovering the truth, Nottingham asks to fight a duel with his former friend, who is instead imprisoned in the Tower of London.
In Nottingham’s palace, Sara receives a letter in which Essex informs her that he has been condemned to death and that Elisabetta can only pardon him if the ring is brought to her. But Nottingham forces Sara to show him the letter and, feeling twice betrayed (by his wife and his friend) he orders her confined to the house. While in his cell Essex awaits to be pardoned, in Westminster Palace Elisabetta is prey to doubts and remorse: she does not want Essex to die, even if he loved another woman. Sara finally arrives with the ring, but it is too late: the cannon thunders to inform the Queen that the sentence has been carried out. Elisabetta is furious and curses Sara when Nottingham arrives to inform her that she has deliberately delayed the delivery of the ring. Elisabetta promises them both torture; then, in her delirium, she believes she sees the spectre of Essex, announces her imminent death and abdication and, collapsing lifeless with the ring to her lips, declares Giacomo Stuart the new king of England.