from Act IV of the French|Italian opera
La Favorite (La Favorita) by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto: Alphonse Royer
Role: Fernand (Ferdinand), a young novice at the monastery of St. James of Compostella
Voice Part: tenor Fach: tenor leggiero
Setting: the monastery of St James of Compostella, Castile, Spain, circa 1340
Synopsis: Not knowing that Léonore is the "favorite" of King Alphonse, Fernand asks the king for her hand in marriage and receives it because he has led Castile to victory in battle over the Moors. Thinking that his bride is pure, he prepares to marry her. However, before she appears, he finds out that she has been the lover of the King. With his heart broken, he returns to the monastery and mourns for the betrayal of his love and the loss of Léonore.