Gemma di Vergy

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Gemma di Vergy is a tragedia lirica or tragic opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1834) from a libretto by Emanuele Bidéra, based on the tragedy Charles VII chez ses grands vassaux (Charles VII at the homes of his great vassals) (1831) by Alexandre Dumas père, already the subject of the opera The Saracen by the Russian composer César Cui.

It received its first performance on the 26 December 1834 at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan with the great Italian soprano Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis, for whom Donizetti had composed Fausta (1832 ), and for whom he was to compose Roberto Devereux (1837). Ronzi de Begnis also sang the title roles in Anna Bolena (1830) and Maria Stuarda (1834). The opera proved very popular until the end of the 19th century and productions were staged throughout Italy as well as London, Paris, New York, Lisbon, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Barcelona. The opera was last staged in Empoli in 1901 and then disappeared from the repertoire.

Gemma di Vergy was revived for the soprano Montserrat Caballé in a production at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in December 1975. A number of live recordings exist of the Caballé performances from Naples, Paris and New York.

[edit] Roles

		Premiere, December 26, 1834
Earl of Vergy	baritone	Giovanni Orazio Cartagenova
Gemma	soprano	Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis
Ida di Greville	mezzo-soprano	Felicita Baillou-Hillaret
Tamas	tenor	Domenico Reina
Guido	bass	Ignazio Marini
Rolando	bass	Domenico Spiaggi
Knights, archers, soldiers, bridesmaids