University of Virginia Library

THE DAUGHTER OF ST. MARK. NOTICE.

The history of Catarina Cornaro has been recently selected by four composers of distinction, as a fitting subject for the occupation of their talents—viz.: Herr Lachner, in Germany; Monsieur Halévy, in France; Signor Donizetti, in Italy; and Mr. Balfe, in England—on the present occasion.

The poem of the eminent French Dramatist, my most esteemed friend, M. de Saint Georges, is the work on which I have based a portion of this Opera, and the remainder, like many parts of his splendid Drama, is mere fiction. The language, I need scarcely add, is my own.

I was apprehensive of introducing any representation of those fearful events which signalized Cyprus in 1473, and which, while forcefully delineated by the pen of this able writer, and through that medium too faithfully imitated on the Parisian stage, are repugnant to the taste of an English audience.

M. de Saint Georges has annexed the following remarks to his poem, relative to the history of Catarina Cornaro, collated from P. Daru's Histoire de la Republique de Venise, vol ii., p. 482:—

“Jean de Lusiguan, plus connu sous le nom de Jean III., roi de Chypre, était un prince faible, gouverné par sa femme Hélène Paléologue. Il n' était issu de leur marriage qu'une fille, unie à Jean de Portugal qui résidait dans l'ile de Chypre. Mais un fils naturel du roi, le prince Jacques de Lusignan, doué d' un esprit actif et entreprenant, effraya tellement l'ambitieuse Hélène par ses prétentions au trône, qu' elle obtint du roi qu'il fut ordonné prêtre, et nommé archevêque de Nicosie, métropole de l' ile. A cette époque, se trouvait à la cour de Chypre un patricien de Venise nommé Andréa Cornaro.

“Ce seigneur ayant fait voir au prince Jacques le portrait de sa nièce, Catarina Cornaro, et remarquant la vive impression que causait au fils du roi l' image de cette belle personne, lui conseilla de se faire relever de ses vœux, de s'unir à Venise en épousant la fille d' un des sénateurs de la république, et de réclamer le secours et l'appui des Vénitiens pour succéder à son père qui venait de mourir.

“Le prince accuellit cet espoir avec empressement. Andréa Cornaro fut le négociateur de toute cette intrigue. Charlotte de Portugal, qui avait hérité du trône de son père, Jean de Lusignan, fut chassée par les Vénitiens de son royaume et se sauva dans l' ile de Rhodes.

“Catarina Cornaro apporta une riche dot à Jacques de Lusignan, élu roi de Chypre. Le ler juin 1469, la jeune reine fit son entrée dans l ile de Chypre sur une escadre vénitienne, conduite par Andrea son oncle. Le sénat de Venise déclara Catarina fille de Saint-Marc.”

The subject is also thus referred to, in An Italian Voyage, by Richard Lassels, 1698, part ii., p. 231:—

“The kingdom of Cyprus came to the Venetians by Catherine Cornaro, who was made heir of it by her son, the king thereof, who died young, and without issue. The story is this, Catherine was daughter of Marco Cornaro, and neece of Andrew Cornaro, two noblemen of Venice. Andrew was sent Auditoré General into the kingdom of Cyprus, in the time of James, king of that

island, and helped to him many thousand crowns. One day, as the king was talking familiarly with him, he let fall (whether by chance or design) a little picture in miniature, of a very handsome lady. The king, curious to see it, called for it civilly, and viewing it well, fell hugely in love with the original of it, which Andrew assured him to be far handsomer than the copy; and, withal added, that if his Majesty liked her, she was his neece, and that, therefore, he offered her freely to him for his wife, with all the money he had already lent him, and an hundred thousand crowns more. The king bit willingly at these two baits, beauty and money, and was not quiet until he married her.”

I am aware that the construction of this Drama is open to a charge of “utter disregard of time and space;” but a deviation from the unities having been sanctioned by our most eminent Dramatists, and by their great master, in his immortal tragedy of Othello on the very same scene of action where this opera lies, I am not without hope that so humble a follower as myself may be forgiven.

Having been repeatedly blamed, by the ablest critics of the public press, for introducing dialogue in my other Operas, I have determined on presenting, for the first time, one entirely in recitative.

The passages to which inverted commas will be found prefixed, are omitted in representation.