"Lucrezia Borgia."

This opera is founded upon Victor Hugo's drama of "Lucrece Borgia," and was composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1834.

The scene passes in Venice and Ferrara. Lucrezia, wife of Don Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara, impelled by some irresistible feeling, follows Gennaro, a young man supposed to be the son of a poor fisherman, to Venice, where she becomes convinced that he is her son. The duke, however, not knowing her secret, becomes jealous, and determines to get rid of him.

Gennaro is taunted by some of his companions with being the lover of Lucrezia; and having no respect or attachment for the haughty and cruel woman, in a fit of rage he insults her by defacing her name on the palace-gates. Lucrezia is informed of this by her spy, Gubetta, and demands from her husband that the culprit shall be punished with death: this he readily promises, believing him to be his wife's lover. The prisoner is brought in, and Lucrezia is horrified at beholding Gennaro.

The duke, mistaking the cause of her emotion, insists on her deciding the manner of his death.

She chooses poison, mixes it in his wine, and presents it to him. The duke, satisfied, leaves him to die, when Lucrezia compels Gennaro to swallow an antidote, assists him to escape, and begs him to leave Ferrara at once. This he is about to do, but is induced by his friend Orsini to remain for a fete given by the courtesan, Negroni. During the evening goblets of wine are brought in, which the guests partake of.

Lucrezia then enters, and informs them that they are all poisoned; giving as a reason for the act, the insult offered to her at Venice. Gennaro appears, to her great anguish, she thinking that he had left the city; and she again tries to save him with the antidote, which he refuses unless she will also save his friends. This she is unable to do, but urges him to save himself, informing him that he is a Borgia, and she is his mother. He tells her it is now too late, and falls lifeless before her.

The duke and attendants enter just as Lucrezia throws herself, dying, on the body of her son.

Gaetano Donizetti, the author of this opera,--and sixty other operas,--was born in Bergamo, Sept. 25, 1798, and died there, April 8, 1848. Among his most famous operas are "La Favorita," "Lucia di Lammermoor," "La Fille du Regiment," "Don Pasquale." He wrote his last opera, "Don Sebastian," in two months, and said at the time, "'Don Sebastian' will be the death of me." Soon after it was finished he had a stroke of paralysis, and ended his days in a lunatic-asylum.