from Act II of the Italian opera Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave

Role: Gabriele Adorno, a citizen of Genoa

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: dramatic tenor/heldentenor

Setting: the palace of the Doge, Genoa, mid 14th century

Synopsis: Believing that Simon and Amelia are "enjoying each other", Gabriele goes into a jealous rage and then regresses into sadness.

from Prologue of the Italian opera Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave

Role: Jacopo Fiesco, a noble of Genoa and grandfather of Amelia, later goes by the name of Andrea

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass

Setting: A square, Genoa, mid 14th century

Synopsis: Fiesco sings sorrowfully that his daughter Maria has died. He rages against the absent Simon Boccanegra and then accuses the Virgin Mary of not protecting his daughter. After realizing that he has committed blasphemy, he prays to her, hoping that she will forgive him.

from Act I, Scene 1 of the Italian opera Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave

Role: Maria Boccanegra (Amelia), Simon Boccanegra's illegitimate daughter, goes by the name Amelia

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: spinto soprano

Setting: the garden of the Grimaldi Palace, Genoa, mid 14th century.

Synopsis: Amelia looks into the distance and remembers her childhood. The sight of the moon and the sea together brings back the memory of the old woman who lived in a small hut by the sea and raised her from a small child. She promises never to let the extravagant surroundings of the palace make her forget her humble past.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the Italian opera Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave

Role: Maria Boccanegra (Amelia), Simon Boccanegra's illegitimate daughter, goes by the name Amelia

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: spinto soprano

Setting: the chamber of the council in the palace of the Doge, Genoa, mid 14th century

Synopsis: Amelia tells a story of how she was captured and taken aboard a ship. She fainted and, when she awoke, she was in a house. She threatened her abductor, saying that she would expose him to the Doge. He was frightened and let her go, but told her that he was not the real abductor.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the Italian opera Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave

Role: Simon Boccanegra, at first, a corsair in the service of the Republic of Genoa, later the Doge of Genoa.

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: the chamber of the council in the palace of the Doge, Genoa, mid 14th century

Synopsis: As people inside the council chamber draw arms against each other, Simon cries out for them to join in universal brotherhood.