La Favorita: Act III, Aria: O mio Fernando (soprano): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score

LA FAVORITA (THE FAVORITE) is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). The libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz is based on the play LE COMTE DE COMMINGES by François-Thomas-Marie de Baculard d'Arnaud. On the brink of taking his monastic vows, the young novice Fernand declares that he has fallen in love with a lady whose identity remains unrevealed to him. He discovers her to be Léonor, the mistress of Alfonso XI, the King of Castile. Receiving an army commission from her, he earns a prize from the king himself for his success on the battlefield. When he announces his wish to marry Léonor, further revelations lead to her arrest. He decides to return to monastic life, but her exhausted appearance persuades him to declare his love for her again before she dies in his arms. The opera premiered at the Salle Le Peletier in Paris on December 2, 1840. In the Act 3 aria O MIO FERNANDO, Léonor sings of both her desire to marry Fernando and the fear of bringing him dishonor. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp: Hp: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Solo Sop.