Belisario: Part III - The Death, "Qui siedi, o padre" (Irene, Belisario)-Gaetano Donizetti/Gianandrea Gavazzeni

PART THREE: ‘THE DEATH’. SCENE I A desert landscape, with the high mountain chain of the Emo in the background. Irene and Belisario appear, both exhausted from their endless walking, but Belisario at least with his eye sockets no longer bandaged. As they take a short rest, a distant calling of trumpets is heard, and Irene, climbing a rock, perceives that a column of armed men is advancing upon them. She persuades Belisario to take shelter in a shallow cave. The army of the Alani and the Bulgars enters, under the command of Alamiro, Ottario and others. They expect imminently to join battle with the Greeks, and Alamiro encourages them by declaring that, as soon as they raise the cry of ‘Belisario’, all the latter’s veterans will desert to their side. At this Belisario steps forward, ordering them to halt. He rebukes Alamiro, declaring that he belies his claim to be a Greek. Alamiro’s response is not merely to repeat his story of being abandoned on the seashore as a child and of being brought up by the barbarian sailor who came across him, but, further, to produce a cross and a dagger which were found with him. From inscriptions engraved on these objects it becomes evident that Alamiro is, in fact, Alessi. A joyful reunion takes place between him and his father and sister. A momentary obstacle arises when the barbarians demand that he continue to act as their commander – he had sworn to lead them until Byzantium should be razed to the ground – but Ottario releases him from his oath and all depart, the barbarian army by one path, and Belisario, Alessi and Irene by another. To Ottario’s final remark that they will conquer Greece even without Belisario, Belisario replies that every Greek, fighting for his homeland, will become a Belisario. SCENE II The tent of Giustiniano. The Emperor, just arrived in the field, declares his intention of joining battle the following morning. His preparations are, however, interrupted by the arrival of Antonina, distraught, dishevilled and conscience-stricken, unable to conceal any longer that she and Eutropio had had Belisario’s letters altered with forged additions and had so secured his condemnation. All she wishes now is to die, but not before she has sought out Belisario and pleaded for his forgiveness. Distant voices are heard, proclaiming victory, and Irene brings news both of the rediscovery of Alessi in Alamiro and of an all-but-miraculous putting to flight of the barbarian army, routed by none other than Belisario himself. All feelings of joy are rapidly dispelled, however, for the shouts of victory are followed by a doleful sound of trumpets and the announcement, by a centurion, that Belisario has been fatally wounded by a dart released by the fleeing barbarians. He is carried in dying, and entrusts his children to the care of Giustiniano. Antonina then approaches to ask his pardon, but before he can either grant her wish or deny her he falls back lifeless. In her despair, she imagines that he has continued to curse her even in this moment of death and now flies to accuse her before the throne of God. Beside herself, she tries to flee, but, finding herself before the corpse, she utters a cry and collapses to the ground.