Les vêpres siciliennes

also I vespri siciliani, Giovanna de Guzman, The Sicilian Vespers

grand opéra · opéra en cinq actes

Librettist Eugène Scribe, Charles Duveyrier

Synopsis

Sicily is under French occupation, governed by Guy de Montfort. The Duchess Hélène, whose brother the French executed a year before, is their hostage, and the young Sicilian Henri, just released from prison, loves her and hates the governor. Montfort offers Henri a commission if he will keep away from her, and Henri refuses.

Key facts

Premiere: 13 June 1855, Salle Le Peletier, Paris
Acts: 5
Language: French (fr)
Setting: Palermo and its surroundings, in 1282.

Dramatis personae

Role	Voice	Created by
Guy de Montfort Governor of Sicily under Charles d'Anjou, King of Naples.	baritone	Marc Bonnehée
Le Sire de Béthune A French officer.	bass	Théodore Coulon
Le Comte de Vaudemont A French officer.	bass	Guignot
Henri A young Sicilian.	tenor	Louis Guéymard
Jean Procida A Sicilian doctor.	bass	Louis-Henri Obin
La Duchesse Hélène Sister of Duke Frederick of Austria.	soprano	Sophie Cruvelli
Ninette Hélène's maid.	contralto	Clarisse-Françoise Sannier
Daniéli Hélène's servant.	tenor	Jean-Jacques Boulo
Thibault A French soldier.	tenor	Alexandre Aimés
Robert A French soldier.	baritone	Mécène Marié de l'Isle
Mainfroid A Sicilian, follower of Procida.	tenor	Joseph Koenig

Source

Le duc d'Albe by Eugène Scribe, Charles Duveyrier

Written from

Budden, J. (1979) The operas of Verdi. Volume 2: From Il trovatore to La forza del destino. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 167-242.
Wikipedia (2026) Les vêpres siciliennes. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
Scribe, E. and Duveyrier, C. (1855) Les vêpres siciliennes: opéra en cinq actes. Paris. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
Casaglia, G. (n.d.) '13 Giugno 1855', in L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
Wikipedia (2026) I vespri siciliani. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.