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• Historical persons (HP) behind the opera characters
• Performers and collaborators of the first Premieres
• Performers most liked by Giuseppe Verdi and his wife Giuseppina Strepponi
• Greatest performers after Verdi's times
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Les vêpres siciliennes / original version

• Opera in 5 acts, French
• Libretto Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe
• Based on the previous libretto Il duca d'Alba, made for Gaetano Donizetti by Eugène Scribe
• Premiere Paris Opéra (in its building of Salle Le Peletier), 13 June 1855
  
  

I vespri siciliani

• Opera in 5 acts, Italian
• Libretto Eugenio Caimi (first translated from French by Arnaldo Fusinato)
• Opera was first known as Giovanna de Guzman, then as Batilda di Turenne when seen by Verdi in Naples in January 1858. After the unification of Italy in 1860, it could be performed with its present title, I vespri Siciliani.
• Time: 1282. Place: Palermo, Italy.
• Premiere Teatro Regio, Parma, 26 December 1855
  
  

A scene from the Italian version of the opera. (Lithograph by Roberto Focosi)

• Characters:
  • Guido di Montforte (Michele de Vasconcello), a Portuguese quisling, baritone
    • Marc Bonnehée sang in the first French premiere in Paris 13 June 1855
    • Giovanni Guicciardi
    • Antonio Cotogni ao. in Turin
    • Eugène Caron
    • Giuseppe Taddei
    • Piero Cappuccilli
    • Renato Bruson
  • Lord of Bethune, a French officer, bass
    • Antonio "Selva" Scremin
    • Boris Christoff
  • Count Vaudemont, a French officer, bass
    • Antonio "Selva" Scremin
  • Arrigo (Enrico), a young Sicilian, tenor
    • Louis Guéymard sang in the first French premiere in Paris 13 June 1855
    • Antonio Giuglini sang in the first Italian premiere in Parma 26 Dec 1855; and in the first London premiere 1859 at Drury Lane, opposite Thérèse Tietjens.
    • Raffaele Angelo Agostino Mirate
    • Italo Campanini
    • Giovanni Peirani
    • Plácido Domingo
    • Peter Lindroos
  • Don Giovanni Ribera Pinto, a Portuguese captain (Giovanni da Procida, a Sicilian doctor), bass
    • HP dr. Giovanni da Procida, III
    • Louis-Henri Obin sang in the first French premiere in Paris 13 June 1855
    • Antonio "Selva" Scremin
    • Mark Osipovich Reizen
    • Ruggero Raimondi
  • Elena (Giovanna de Guzman, originally Helena), soprano
    • Sophie Cruvelli sang in the first premiere in Paris 13 June 1855
    • Thérèse Tietjens created the first London Elena 1859 at Drury Lane, opposite Giuglini's Arrigo.
    • Marie Sasse
    • Teresa Stolz
    • Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
    • Rosa Ponselle
    • Maria Callas
    • Virginia Zeani
    • Renata Scotto
    • Montserrat Caballé
    • Ángeles Gulín
    • Ángeles Blancas
  • Ninette, her maid, contralto
    • Gaetanina Brambilla Marulli
    • Virginia Guerrini
  • Robert, a French soldier, baritone
    • Mécène Marié de l'Isle sand in the first premiere in Paris 13 June 1855
  • Thibault / Tebaldo, a French soldier, tenor
    • M. Aimes sang in the first premiere
• Conductors:
  • Nicola De Giovanni conducted in the first premiere
  • Mécène Marié de l'Isle
  • Gabriele Santini
  • Gianandrea Gavazzeni
  • Riccardo Muti
  • James Lawrence Levine
• Stage directors:
  • Giorgio De Lullo (La Scala Gavazzeni)
  • Luca Roncóni (Teatro Comunale di Bologna 9 Feb 1986)
  • Giancarlo Del Monaco (Bonn)
    
    
    

Drouet pierced and killed by the sword, by Sicilian Vespers by Francesco Hayez. Rome, National Gallery of Modern Art.

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