La favorite
Grand opera byGaetano Donizetti
Singers of the premiere,Rosine Stoltz andGilbert Duprez in act 4
Librettist	Alphonse Royer Gustave Vaëz Eugène Scribe
Language	French, Italian
Based on	Le comte de Comminges byBaculard d'Arnaud
Premiere	2 December 1840 (1840-12-02) Académie Royale de Musique, Paris

La favorite (The Favourite, frequently referred to by its Italian title:La favorita) is agrand opera in four acts byGaetano Donizetti to a French-languagelibretto byAlphonse Royer andGustave Vaëz, based on theplayLe comte de Comminges byBaculard d'Arnaud with additions byEugène Scribe based on the story ofLeonora de Guzman.^[1] The opera concerns the romantic struggles of theKing of Castile,Alfonso XI, and hismistress, the "favourite" Leonora, against the backdrop of the political wiles of recedingMoorish Spain and the life of theCatholic Church. It premiered on 2 December 1840 at theAcadémie Royale de Musique (Salle Le Peletier) in Paris.

Originally, Donizetti had been composing an opera by the name ofLe Duc d'Albe as his second work for the Opéra in Paris. However, the director,Léon Pillet, objected to an opera without a prominent role for his mistress,mezzo-sopranoRosine Stoltz. Donizetti therefore abandonedLe Duc d'Albe and borrowed heavily fromL'Ange de Nisida, an unrealized project from 1839, to createLa favorite.^[2]

Donizetti wrote the entire final act in three to four hours, with the exception of the cavatina and a part of a duet, which were added at the rehearsal stage.^[3]

The Opéra's original production (Paris, 1840) had costumes designed by Paul Lormier and sets produced by two teams of scenic artists: René-Humanité Philastre andCharles-Antoine Cambon (acts 1 and 3),Charles Séchan,Léon Feuchère [fr],Jules Diéterle andÉdouard Desplechin (acts 2 and 4). Revivals at thePalais Garnier, on 25 January 1875 and 3 February 1896, increased the scale of the staging but remained true to the original concept of 1840. The opera continued to be performed each season at the Opéra up to 1894, remaining in its repertoire until 1918, as well as maintaining a presence in the French provinces through this period.^[4]

It was revived for an Italian premiere in Padua under the title ofLeonora di Guzman in 1842 with baritoneAchille De Bassini in the role of Alfonso,^[5] and at La Scala asElda in 1843 withMarietta Alboni in the title role, though Donizetti himself was not involved in these productions.^[4]

The London premiere was in English at Drury Lane in 1843 with sopranoEmma Romer,^[6] and then in French two years later at Covent Garden, and in Italian at Her Majesty's in 1847. New Orleans'Théâtre d'Orléans first saw the piece on 9 February 1843 in French (followed by a performance in New York by theNew Orleans French Opera Company), and theMetropolitan Opera mounted a production 1895.^[7] Italian revivals in the mid-20th century took place at La Scala Milan in 1934 withEbe Stignani andPertile, in Rome a year later with Cobelli andGigli, followed by further revivals in both cities, several featuring Stignani in the title role.^[7]Arturo Toscanini conducted the work in Bergamo for the Donizetti centenary.^[8] In 1978, the Metropolitan Opera revivedLa Favorite (in Italian) withLuciano Pavarotti andShirley Verrett; the opera had not been heard at the Met sinceEnrico Caruso sang it there in 1905, 73 years previously.^[4][9]

Among other performances, theBavarian State Opera presented a new production of the work in the original French version in 2016, withElīna Garanča, tenorMatthew Polenzani andMariusz Kwiecień in the leading roles.^[10]

Time: 1340

Place:Royaume de Castille

A love triangle involving the King of Castile, Alfonso XI, his mistress ('thefavourite') Leonora, and her lover Fernando, the story unfolds against the background of theMoorish invasions of Spain and power struggles between church and state. (The following synopsis omits the "standard cuts".^[12])

Scene 1

In the Monastery ofSt James, the monks are making their way to worship. Superior Balthazar (bass), father of the Queen of Castile, enters with Fernand (tenor). Balthazar knows that Fernand is preoccupied by something. Fernand confesses that he has fallen in love with a beautiful, but as yet unknown, lady. His faith in God remains, but he wishes to leave the monastery in search of her. Balthazar angrily sends Fernand out of the monastery, warning him of the dangers of the outside world. He predicts that Fernand will one day return to the cloisters, a disappointed if wiser man.

Scene 2

Fernand has found his lady, Léonor (mezzo-soprano), declared his love and received it in return, but he is still unaware of her real identity. She has arranged to meet him on the island of Leon, to which he is brought blindfolded by boat. He is met by Inès (soprano), her companion, who impresses upon him the need for secrecy. Léonor enters. She tells him that they can never marry and that they must not meet again, but nevertheless hands him a document to help him in his future. Shortly afterwards the arrival of the King is announced and Léonor leaves. Fernand is left to speculate about her elevated social position. Reading the document she has left him, he finds a commission in the army – an opportunity for advancement.

Alphonse (baritone) has defeated the Moors and taken Alcazar. In conversation with the courtier Don Gaspar (tenor), the King expresses his pleasure at Fernand's bravery. Alone, the King expresses his love for Léonor and his desire to divorce the Queen and marry her. He realizes that this will provoke the opposition of his powerful father-in-law Balthazar who is ultimately backed by the Pope. Léonor enters and expresses her anguish at remaining his mistress rather than his Queen. The King suspects that he is losing her affection. Don Gaspar enters with news that a letter has been discovered revealing that Léonor has a lover. She makes no denial, but at that moment Balthazar enters intent on forcing the King to abandon his plans for the royal divorce.

Alphonse is to honour Fernand for his role in the war. He asks Fernand what reward he would like and Fernand asks to marry the woman who has inspired him in his bravery. Alphonse asks who she is and Fernand points to Léonor. The King is astonished to learn that Fernand is his successful rival. In an abrupt change of mind, he orders Fernand and Léonor to marry within one hour. Léonor is left with mixed feelings of apprehension and delight ("O mio Fernando"). She decides that Fernand must be informed about her past and sends Inès to him. However, unknown to Léonor, Inès is arrested before she can see him. Fernand only learns the truth after the wedding ceremony. Considering himself dishonoured by the King he breaks his sword, leaves Léonor and entrusts himself to Balthazar.

Balthazar's daughter, the Queen, has died of jealousy and grief, and her body has been sent to him at the Monastery of St James. Prayers are being said for her repose. Fernand is preparing to enter his new religious life. Léonor enters in a state of exhaustion and faints before the cross. At first Fernand rejects her, but eventually moved by her love and sincerity, he is willing to give himself to her again, but it is too late, Léonor collapses once more and dies in his arms.^[13]

In 1840,Richard Wagner made arrangements of the work for piano, for flute, and for a violin duo;^[3] about the same time,Franz Liszt wrote an arrangement of the Act 4 cavatinaSpirto gentil for piano.^[14]

Antonio Pasculli composed a concerto on themes from the opera for oboe and piano/orchestra (c. 1879).

• Allitt, John Stewart (1991),Donizetti: in the light of Romanticism and the teaching of Johann Simon Mayr, Shaftesbury: Element Books (UK); Rockport, Massachusetts: Element (USA)
• Ashbrook, William (1982),Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-23526-X
• Ashbrook, William and Sarah Hibberd (2001), inHolden, Amanda (ed.),The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam.ISBN 0-14-029312-4. pp. 224 – 247.
• Black, John (1982),Donizetti’s Operas in Naples, 1822–1848. London: The Donizetti Society.
• Loewenberg, Alfred (1970).Annals of Opera, 1597–1940, 2nd edition. Rowman and Littlefield
• Osborne, Charles, (1994),The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press.ISBN 0-931340-71-3
• Sadie, Stanley, (ed.);John Tyrell (exec. ed.) (2004),The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd edition. London: Macmillan.ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2(hardcover).ISBN 0-19-517067-9OCLC 419285866 (eBook).
• Weinstock, Herbert (1963),Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, New York: Pantheon Books.LCCN 63-13703

• La favorite: Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
• Donizetti Society (London) website
• Libretto in Stanford University'sOperaGlass (French)
• Libretto (French)
• Vocal score with Italian text
• "O mon Fernand" onYouTube,Katherine Ciesinski

• Operas by Gaetano Donizetti
• French-language operas
• Grand operas
• Operas
• 1840 operas
• Operas set in Spain
• Operas set in the 14th century
• Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera
• Operas based on plays
• Cultural depictions of Spanish monarchs

• CS1 Italian-language sources (it)
• Articles incorporating Cite DNB template
• Articles with Italian-language sources (it)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from October 2019
• Use British English from December 2020
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
• Works with IMSLP links
• Articles with International Music Score Library Project links