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POLIUTO

Gaetano Donizetti

Antonino Votto, condutor.

Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus

(7 December, 1960)

Franco Corelli, Poliuto
Maria Callas, Paulina
Ettore Bastianini, Severo
Nicola Zaccaria, Callistene

Libretto by Salvatore Cammarano /

Premiere Cast:

Poliuto, 30 November 1848, Teatro San Carlo, Naples

Antonio Farelli, conductor.

Poliuto, Roman convert to Christianity: Carlo Baucardé, tenor.
Paolina, Poliuto's wife: Eugenia Tadolini, soprano
Severo, Roman Proconsul: Filippo Colini, baritone.
Felice, Paolina's father, Governor of Armenia: Anafesto Rossi, tenor
Callistene, High Priest of Jupiter: Marco Arati, bass.
Nearco, a Christian, Poliuto's friend: Domenico Ceci, tenor
A Christian: tenor

Poliuto is a three-act tragedia lirica (or tragic opera) by Gaetano Donizetti from the Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, which was based on Pierre Corneille's play Polyeucte written in 1641–42. It reflected the life of the early Christian martyr Saint Polyeuctus.

Regarded by William Ashbrook as Donizetti's "most personal opera" with "some of the finest music Donizetti was to compose", Poliuto was written in 1838 for performances planned at Teatro San Carlo in Naples. However, King Ferdinand II refused to allow the martyrdom of a Christian saint to be seen on stage and banned the production.

Angry at the decision and with a commission for the Paris Opéra due, Donizetti paid the penalty to San Carlo for not producing an original work as substitute and left Naples for Paris. As his first commission for Paris, he decided to revise Poliuto and between 1839-40 a French text, with the title Les martyrs, was prepared by Eugene Scribe which conformed to the conventions of a French four-act grand opera. It incorporated 80% of the music from Poliuto and presented in Paris on 10 April 1840 with success. When eventually given in Italy, it was initially presented in a translation from the French version under the title of I martiri. It took until 30 November 1848, seven months after the composer's death, for Poliuto to finally premiere at San Carlo in its original Italian three-act version.