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Norma, a Druid priestess in Roman-occupied Gaul maintains a secret love affair with the Roman Proconsul Pollione, with whom she has two children. When he falls in love with the young priestess Adalgisa, Norma falls into a deep crisis, caught between her religious duty, betrayed love and maternity. After debating between revenge and forgiveness, Norma confesses her guilt to the people and agrees to be burned at the stake, finally accompanied by Pollione, who repents. 

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Manon Lescaut tells the story of a young French girl, Manon, who is sent to a convent by her family but who, on the way, meets the Chevalier des Grieux. They fall passionately in love and decide to run away together to Paris. However, Manon soon tires of their simple life without luxuries and she gives in to the temptation of wealth, leaving des Grieux to become the lover of the rich man Geronte. 

The desperate des Grieux manages to find Manon again and she confesses she still loves him. They plan to escape together, but Geronte discovers them and accuses Manon of theft. The young woman is arrested and sentenced to be transported to Louisiana. Des Grieux is determined not to lose Manon and follows her to America. 

In the final act, in a desert near New Orleans, Manon and des Grieux try to run away, but, sick and exhausted, she dies in her lover’s arms, lamenting her destiny and her ambition. Des Grieux is left distraught, weeping over Manon’s body. 

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The libretto is based partly on chapters 26 and 27 of Martin Luther’s translation of St Matthew’s Gospel and partly on poetry by the writer Christian Friedrich Henrici, also known as Picander, and on Lutheran choral music related to the Passion. 

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La Gioconda tells a horrifying story of revenge carried out by Barnaba, a spy in the service of the 17th-century Venetian Inquisition, against La Gioconda, a street singer for whom he feels unrequited love. La Gioconda cares for her elderly mother, La Cieca, and Barnaba’s first manoeuvre is to make the people believe the old woman is a witch and must be burned. Laura, the wife of the inquisitor Alvise, saves La Cieca from death, but this leads to a meeting between Laura and her childhood sweetheart Enzo, who is now La Gioconda’s fiancé. Enzo has to decide between two passions and he finally chooses Laura, leaving La Gioconda in a difficult situation that will ultimately lead to her death. 

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The story begins with the preparations for the wedding of the Bride and Groom, marked by the bad feeling of the Groom’s mother towards the family of Leonardo Félix related to the murder of her husband and other son. Although she is engaged, the Bride still loves Leonardo, a married man who has never forgotten her. During the wedding ceremony, the lovers escape together, unleashing chaos, and the Groom, full of anger and pain, decides to pursue the couple, a chase that ends with a fight to the death and the double murder of both Leonardo and the Groom. 

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Katya Kabanova takes place in a small, isolated Russian village on the banks of the River Volga. Katya feels trapped in a repressive society where rules and appearances are all that matter. Unhappily married to Tichon, who is dominated by his bitter, controlling mother Kabanicha, she yearns to escape. 

When Tichon goes away on business, temptation is impossible to resist and Katya begins a secret affair with Boris. However, when Tichon returns in the middle of a violent storm, Katya can no longer bear what she has done. She confesses her affair to her husband and flees. 

Katya meets Boris, who tells her he is leaving. Initially, she begs him to let her go with him, but then decides she cannot leave. Boris goes and Katya, overcome by sadness, throws herself into the Volga. Tichon arrives just in time to see Katya jump in the river. He hurries to help her, but his mother stops him. 

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Fedora, a Russian princess, seeks to avenge her murdered fiancé. She believes the guilty party is Loris Ipanov, so she organises a ball in Paris to trap him. When she becomes close to him, Loris reveals that he killed her betrothed on discovering his infidelity. Although Fedora now understands that her fiancé was not innocent, it is already too late: in her desire for revenge she had denounced Loris’s family, causing the deaths of his mother and his brother. When he finds out, Loris is distraught. Overcome by guilt, Fedora kills herself with poison hidden in the cross she wears at her throat and dies begging his forgiveness. 

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Part I – The prophecy and birth 

The arrival of the promised Messiah is announced with Old Testament texts speaking of hope and light. Then, the birth of Jesus is celebrated, presented as the fulfilment of those prophecies. 

Part II – Passion, death and resurrection 

The suffering of Christ, his sacrifice and his triumph over death are described. After this, the music swells to proclaim his glory and the Christian message, culminating in the famous “Hallelujah”, celebrating his Kingdom of Heaven. 

Part III – Redemption and eternal life 

The work concludes with a meditation on the final resurrection, victory over death and the promise of salvation for humanity, ending with the powerful “Amen” chorus. 

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The victorious corsair Simon Boccanegra is elected duke of the city-state of Genoa through political intrigue, despite the opposition of his rival, Jacopo Fiesco. The two men are connected by Maria, Fiesco’s daughter and Boccanegra’s lover, who died a long time ago. The daughter she gave Boccanegra, Amelia, has disappeared without trace. 

25 years later, Amelia reappears in Genoa and finds herself embroiled in a power struggle that finally costs Boccanegra his life.

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Driven by love and curiosity, Judith follows Bluebeard to his castle, where she discovers seven locked doors. As she opens them, each reveals an aspect of Bluebeard's soul. When she reaches the seventh door, the truth about her beloved is revealed: behind it lie Bluebeard's previous wives, condemned to live in eternal shadow. Judith, trapped by her fate and her desire to redeem it, joins them while Bluebeard is left alone in the darkness, resigned to his perpetual loneliness.