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Knights at the Opera, Part 5 - Spain and Portugal

© Iris Bass

As if that hadn't already chewed up the sets enough in one opera, Donizetti again turned to the same literary source for his 1826 Alahor in Granata. Here, all the Abencerages have been slain except for Alahor and Zobeida, the latter of whom loves Muley-Hassem. Hassem is the brother of the late Aly, who had been responsible for the slaughter of the Abencerages. The exiled Alahor joins a conspiracy against Hassem but then changes sides to defend him, and the attack fails. The opera ends with Zobeida's joyous reunion with her brother and her beloved.

That same year saw the premiere of Donizetti's Elvira, whose libretto by Giovanni Schmidt did not come from Florian. However, it might as well have, especially as regards a fondness for alliterative names. In this opera, the Spanish-born Elvida is captured by Amur, a Moor. However, she is in love with a Spanish prince, Alfonso, who first attacks Amur's stronghold with catapults and then follows the Moor when he tries to move Elvida elsewhere. Amur's inclination is to kill her rather than give her up, but she is saved by the intervention of his son, who loves her unrequitedly himself! The latter makes sure Elvida is safely returned to Alfonso.

We zip from A to Z again when we turn to Donizetti's last opera, the 1843 Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal. This is a sprawling French grand opera with an almost Hitchcockian ending. The title character, who is the king of Portugal, goes off to fight the Moors in 1578, and during the course of his mission sets free a Moslem girl, Zayda, who is about to be burned at the stake by the Inquisition despite her having been baptized a Christian. He brings her along with him to Morocco and returns her to her father, Ben-Selim - from whom she learns she is to be married to an Arab chieftain, Abayaldos. Abayaldos successfully leads his countrymen against Dom Sébastien's advancing Portuguese troops. Dom Sébastien survives the battle in which another Crusader has died in his defense. He is discovered alive by Zayda, who confesses that she loves him. She agrees to marry Abayaldos, on the condition that he safely return the wounded Dom Sébastien to Lisbon.

Back in Portugal, Dom Sébastien's nefarious uncle, Dom Antonio, has made himself regent upon hearing false news of his nephew's death. A movement is afoot to restore the throne to Dom Sébastien, but Abayaldos (in disguise) denounces him as an imposter; the Grand Inquisitor subsequently condemns Dom Sébastien and Zayda to death. Meanwhile, there has been a conspiracy to turn Portugal over to Spain, an act that would require the king's signature. Dom Sébastien refuses to sign the document, but then signs in the belief that it will save Zayda's life if he does so. He and Zayda, imprisoned in the Tower of Lisbon, descend by rope out its high windows. The Grand Inquisitor and Dom Antonio order their soldiers to fire upon the escapees, and the lovers die together as they fall into the harbor below.