Fedora
Opera in three acts, by Umberto Giordano; text, after the Sardou drama, by Colautti. Produced, Milan, 1898.
Characters
| Princess Fedora | Soprano |
| Count Loris | Tenor |
| Countess Olga | Soprano |
| De Siriex, a diplomat | Baritone |
| Grech, a police officer | Bass |
| Dmitri, a groom | Contralto |
| Cyril, a coachman | Baritone |
| Borov, a doctor | Baritone |
| Baron Rouvel | Baritone |
Time—Present.
Place—Paris and Switzerland.
Act I. Home of Count Vladimir, St. Petersburg. While the beautiful Princess Fedora awaits the coming of her betrothed, Count Vladimir, he is brought in, by De Siriex, mortally wounded. Suspicion for the murder falls upon Count Loris. Fedora takes a Byzantine jewelled cross from her breast and swears by it to avenge her betrothed.
Act II. Salon of Fedora in Paris. Loris is entertained by her. She uses all her arts of fascination in hope of securing proof of his guilt. He falls desperately in love with her, and she succeeds in drawing from him a confession of the murder. Grech, a police officer, plans to take Loris after all the guests have left. Then, however, Loris tells her further that he killed the Count because he betrayed his young wife and brought about her untimely death. Fedora, who herself has fallen in love with Loris, now takes him into her arms. But the trap is ready to be sprung. She is, however, able to escape with him.
Act III. Switzerland. Loris and Fedora are married. Loris’s footsteps, however, are followed by a spy. Fedora learns that because of Loris’s act his brother has been thrown into prison and has died there. Loris’s mother has died of shock. He discovers that it was Fedora who set the secret service on his track. He is about to kill her when, in despair, she swallows poison. Loris now pleads with her to live, but it is too late. She dies in his arms.