I vespri siciliani - Overture to the opera in five acts

After several successful opera projects like „Rigoletto“ or „troubadour“ and the rather butted incomprehension „La Traviata“, Verdi was commissioned by the Théâtre Impérial de l‘ Opéra to compose, the libretto by Eugène Scribe an opera under the title “ I vespri siciliani „. The work brought some problems to this opera Verdi, not only because an exceptional foreign text had to be used, but also because he could take no more influence on the performance during the rehearsal work. He also complained about its arrogant treatment by Scribe the Director of the Opera House in Paris. Therefore the premiere of the opera had then been delayed, among other things, because the time allotted for the lead role Prima Donna had suddenly gone in protesting and left Paris and under this circumstance led the director of the Paris Opera unconstrained. But later The Prima Donna reappeared and took over her role.
The opera itself is composed as the Grand Opera and will open with a potpourri overture. The theme of the libretto and the opera is based on the historical fact of the Sicilian uprising, during vespers in Palermo, against Charles of Anjou in the 13th century, which was invested by Pope Clement IV with the Kingdom of Sicily. But the libretto does not exclusively refer to the historical facts, as individual scenes are fictitious.