Poliuto

opera by Donizetti

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July 1, 2026

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Poliuto is an opera by Gaetano Donizetti, an Italian composer known for his transitional stage between Rossini and Verdi. The opera was originally intended for production in Naples but was banned by municipal censors in 1838 due to its subject matter, which dealt with a Christian martyr and was deemed unsuitable for the stage.1

Donizetti later adapted Poliuto into a French grand opera titled Les Martyrs, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe. This revised version premiered in Paris in 1840. Poliuto falls within the tradition of opera seria, a style of Italian opera prominent in the 18th century, characterized by its focus on solo voices, bel canto, and dramatic action advanced through recitative and arias.12

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Gaetano Donizetti
Success in Paris.
…to the production of his Poliuto, which dealt with a Christian martyr, on the ground that the sacred subject was unsuitable for the stage. He thereupon returned to Paris, where the field had been cleared for him by Bellini’s early death and Rossini’s retirement. There he revived some of his…
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…to the production of his Poliuto, which dealt with a Christian martyr, on the ground that the sacred subject was unsuitable for the stage. He thereupon returned to Paris, where the field had been cleared for him by Bellini’s early death and Rossini’s retirement. There he revived some of his…
Read More