Organization

Donizetti Opera

Singer

Baritone

Florian Sempey

Fernando

Bass-baritone

Roberto Lorenzi

Don Gaspar

Tenor

Konu Kim

King Fernand of Naples

Soprano

Lidia Fridman

Sylvia

Bass

Federico Benetti

Monk

Conductor

Jean-Luc Tingaud

Stage director

Francesco Micheli

Set designer

Angelo Sala

Costume designer

Margherita Baldoni

Lighting designer

Alessandro Andreoli

Chorus master

Fabio Tartari

Assistenti ai costumi

Valentina Volpi

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Others

Coro Donizetti Opera

Orchestra

Orchestra Donizetti Opera

L'Ange de Nisida -  (The Angel of Nisida)

Bergamo

Italy

Teatro Donizetti

FIRST PART 

Leone, a soldier of fortune, wounds a gentleman and, to escape capital punishment, escapes to Nisida, where he falls in love with Sylvia, a noble girl deceived by King Ferdinand with a false promise of marriage and who instead makes her his mistress.  The unsuspecting inhabitants of the island, subdued by her charm, call her instead the Angel of Nisida.  Don Gaspar, the King's fixer, waits for the sovereign to arrive for the usual meeting with the girl, when he bumps into Leo and offers him his "protection".  Sylvia, worried by the young man's presence at that juncture, declares to him that their feeling is impossible;  Leo is determined to insist, as the King arrives, who recognizes him as the condemned man and orders his arrest.  Sylvia gets pardon for Leone, when a monk arrives, the Father Superior, sent by the Holy See to denounce the scandalous relationship: the King is threatened with excommunication, for Sylvia instead the convent is looming if she does not leave the court.  Don Gaspar tries to calm the King: we need to find someone willing to marry the woman, in exchange for an attractive reward.  Leo, who learned of this project, offers himself as a bridegroom.  The King, reluctant at first, accepts believing that the solution favors him in continuing the relationship. 


SECOND PART 

Don Gaspar has understood that Leone loves Sylvia and tries in vain to dissuade the King. Sylvia would like to forget Leone who believes he wants to marry her only for interest.  Near the ceremony the courtiers mock the young man for having taken the King's lover as his wife. His father Superior bursts in, shocked by Leone's involvement in similar machinations.  Leo however refuses the sovereign's offers and Sylvia then understands the purity of her feelings.  The young man resolves to take his vows: the Father Superior accompanies him and welcomes him to the monastery;  the tortured Sylvia, disguised as a novice, joins him to ask for forgiveness;  the young man initially rejects her, then yields to her love for her, but the girl collapses and dies.  The Monk, troubled by the presence of Sylvia's body in the convent of the monks, conceals her identity.  Lion shocked by so much hypocrisy announces his own death. 

 

Overview 

FIRST PART 

Leone meets Sylvia on the isle of Nisida and falls in love with her: he escaped from Naples and from a possible death sentence after hurting a nobleman during a duel. The fascinated Inhabitants of the island calls her the Ange of Nisida. The man con- fesses his condition to the King’s chamberlain, Don Gaspar, who promises to help him. Leone and Sylvia declare their love to each other, although the girl asks him to forget her and not to try to discover her identity. Leone recovers from his dismay and is determined to insist. In the meantime, the King arrives and recognizes him as the man who was condemned, thus ordering his arrest. Sylvia reproaches the King for having deceived her with a false promise of marriage and then keeping her as his mistress; the young woman manages to have Leone set free by the King but the Monk denounces the sovereign for having ignored the precepts of the Holy See. If Silvia does not leave Naples, she will be closed in a convent. Don Gaspar tries to calm down the King, then informs Sylvia that, in order to appease Rome, she will marry a compliant man. Leone, who still ignores Sylvia’s real identity, publicly offers to marry her while the King continues to declare his love for Sylvia. 


SECOND PART 

Don Gaspar has understood that Leone loves Sylvia and tries to dissuade the King by arousing his jealousy. Sylvia would like to forget Leone judging he wants to marry her for interest; after the wedding, the courtesans mock Leone for having married the King’s mistress; therefore, he breaks his sword with indignation at the feet of the sovereign, making the woman realize that his feelings for her are pure. Leone is desperate and joins the monastery where the Monk is Father Superior, and takes his vows. Sylvia arrives disguised as a male novice and close to death: she has come to beg Leone’s forgiveness. At first, the young man rejects her, but then he admits he is still in love with her. Sylvia, however, collapses and dies. The Monk, disturbed by the presence of Sylvia’s dead body in the convent, conceals its identity. Leone upset by such hypocrisy announces his own death.

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