The World's Most Famous Operas — The Love of the Three Kings

The World's Most Famous Operas

The Love of the Three Kings

Music by: Italo Montemezzi
(1875– )
Rendered into Arabic by: Samir Shikhani
An opera in three acts, by Benelli
First produced in Milan in 1913

The Characters:
• Archibaldo
• Manfredo, his son
• Fiora, Manfredo's wife
• Avito, former prince of Altura
• Flaminio, a servant
The people of Altura

Time: the tenth century, forty years after a barbarian invasion led by Archibaldo.
Place: a remote castle in Italy.

Act One

The scene: a spacious hall in Archibaldo's castle.

It is shortly before dawn, and the spacious hall, with its vaulted ceiling and its gleaming mosaics, can scarcely be seen in the darkness of night. Two arched doors open onto a terrace, on which stands a lighted lantern. Presently the old, blind King Archibaldo, king of Altura, appears, led by Flaminio, one of the castle guards. He is in a state of great agitation; sleep has not visited his eyes; he is awaiting the return of his son Manfredo from the mountain country, where he leads the military campaign against the rebellious people of Altura, who have not yet surrendered despite the passing of the long years. Flaminio reminds the old king that he himself is of the people of Altura, but has remained in the service of the conquering occupier for the sake of establishing peace. And for the sake of peace, likewise, the Princess Fiora was wedded to Manfredo, after having been betrothed to Avito, prince of Altura.

When nothing appears to herald Manfredo's return, the king orders his guard to put out the lantern. But no sooner has Flaminio extinguished the light than the sound of a flute rises from the valley, and the guard hastens to lead the king away to his chamber. Scarcely has he done so when another door giving onto the hall opens, and out of it comes Avito, warily, glancing about him to make certain that no one sees him. Fiora follows him, begging him to stay with her a little, assuring him that the door of Archibaldo's chamber is fast shut, and asking him to kiss her. The two lovers embrace and join in a burning song of love.

The sound of the flute rises a second time from beneath the terrace. The first light of morning breaks, and Avito notices with terror that the terrace lantern has been put out, and knows that someone was outside. And as Avito hurries out of the castle across the terrace, the door of Archibaldo's chamber opens, and the old king calls to Fiora, saying:

I know that you are here. I hear the sound of your breathing, and I heard you speaking to someone... who is this person?

She answers: I was talking to myself. I could not sleep for thinking of my husband Manfredo, so I went out onto the terrace to watch for his return.

The scene: one of the castle terraces.

It is early afternoon, and Manfredo is bidding Fiora farewell with tenderness, repeating the love song, "Tell me, O Fiora, why do I leave you once more?" From the castle courtyard rise the calls of trumpets, and Manfredo says in a choked voice that within a few minutes he will be on his way to the valley. He presses Fiora to climb up to the watchtower that adjoins the upper terrace where they stand, and to wave her kerchief to him, so that it may be the last thing on which his eyes fall as he leaves her.

Fiora promises to carry out his wish, pitying this man whom she does not love...

Manfredo departs, and Fiora climbs the stone steps that lead to the watchtower. While she stands sending her gaze out over the wall she hears her name; she turns toward the voice and sees Avito, disguised in the dress of the royal guard. She begs him to leave the place... forever. She has been touched to her depths by Manfredo's tenderness and devotion, and does not wish to continue her sinful liaison with Avito. Her words are cut short by the entrance of a servant carrying a box to Fiora, in which is a long white scarf sent to her by Manfredo. So she returns to the wall of the watchtower and waves the scarf, calmly and slowly.

Archibaldo rages and orders her back to her chamber, saying: "Do not lie to me!" The trumpets ring out from without, announcing Manfredo's return. He enters the hall and greets his father the king with great tenderness, then tells him of his joy at returning to his home and his young wife.

Fiora comes out of her chamber and greets him, hiding the truth of her feelings behind the words of welcome with which she showers him:

— I went out onto the terrace before dawn, watching for your return. Is it not so, father?

Archibaldo, unwilling to wound his son's feelings, confirms her words. Manfredo embraces his wife with gentleness and affection and leads her to her chamber. The old king remains alone, and lifts his hands on high, saying: "O God, since you have taken my eyes from me, make me truly blind!"

Avito comes down the steps and stands below her. He reaches up to touch the scarf in her hand, but she prevents him, saying:
— You may kiss the hem of my gown, for I embroidered it myself.

Avito seizes the hem of the gown and covers it with kisses. She turns toward him little by little; he draws her closer, and takes her in his arms, half between consciousness and unconsciousness, repeating the song: "I am thirsty, I am thirsty!" And the two lovers are lost in a rapturous kiss that makes her oblivious to everything... even to the arrival of Archibaldo and Flaminio... They are struck with terror when the old king cries: "Fiora!" Avito draws his sword from its sheath and rushes at the blind man, but Flaminio bars his way; Fiora signals to her lover to flee, and he escapes in perfect calm and quiet. When the king asks who was on the terrace, Flaminio answers truthfully: "No one." But he says that Manfredo has turned his horse and is on his way back to the castle. Archibaldo orders him to go and receive his master and greet him.

The king and Fiora remain alone, and he demands to know her lover. She denies having any lover, and his anger grows at her denial. He seizes her by the throat as she sinks onto a seat beside him. Before long she confesses that she has a lover whom she loves with a true love, and that she does not love Manfredo; but she refuses to utter his name, even should it cost her her life. In the flood of his rage and fury he tightens his fingers upon her neck, and she dies strangled before he knows what he is doing.

Manfredo comes in, in agitation: he had seen Fiora and the scarf she waved as he made his way to the valley, but after a little he could no longer see them; anxiety seized him, and he returned to the castle to learn what had happened. He is horrified to see his father standing before the corpse of his wife. Archibaldo begs his son, in despair, to hand him his sword that he too may die, saying:
I killed her because she was as defiled as she was beautiful!

Manfredo, his heart broken, asks the name of her lover; his father tells him that he does not know his name, for he is blind and could not see him. And he prevents him from gazing at Fiora, lest he see the marks of his fingers about her neck, saying:
Walk before me, my son, and I shall follow you.

Manfredo leaves the terrace with slow steps, weighed down with deep sorrow, followed by Archibaldo, bearing Fiora's body upon his shoulders.

Act Three

The scene: the crypt in the castle chapel.
Fiora's body, clothed in white garments, has been laid in a sarcophagus. From the chapel that stands above it the chants of the choir are heard. Here is a company of the people of Altura, men and women, standing in reverence and awe, their heads bowed about the bier, weeping for their beautiful princess. Some of them seethe with anger and demand vengeance upon her killer. But their anger soon melts away, and they leave the place after the bell tolls, announcing the funeral.

Upon their departure Avito steals into the crypt to bid his beloved the last farewell. Grief overcomes him, and he bends over her still body and presses upon her cold lips a long, burning kiss... Then he rises suddenly, feeling a dreadful shudder run through his limbs. It becomes clear to him that he is dying, and he rejoices at it. He gathers his strength and makes for the door, where he is surprised by Manfredo, who tells him that Archibaldo had placed poison upon Fiora's lips to discover the identity of her lover.

But this discovery of Manfredo's does not lessen his sorrow, nor take away his misery. Knowing his wife's lover stirs in him remorse, and grief that Fiora did not love him instead of Avito. He lays his body out upon the ground, and wonders how it is that he feels no hatred at all toward his rival.

In the flood of his grief and despair he throws himself upon Fiora's body and presses his lips to hers. And as the poison begins to course through his body, Archibaldo enters, exultant that he has found the guilty lover. But he hears his son's death rattle, and cries out in great pain and great despair...