Los diamantes de la corona

[1] The opera is taken from the original French libretto by Eugène Scribe and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges which was set to music by Daniel Auber in 1841.

[2] The dramatist and poet Francisco Camprodón Lafont, first declining the composers Joaquín Gaztambide and José Inzenga, offered his adaptation to Barbieri, who had already achieved his first major zarzuela success with Jugar con fuego in 1851, and was in the process of creating a new theatre in Madrid.

[1] A recording was made at the Teatro Monumental Madrid in 1957 by Columbia, with Pilar Lorengar, María Dolores Alite, Ginés Torrano, Manuel Ausensi, Gerardo Monreal and Rafael Campos, with Ataúlfo Argenta conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica the Coros Cantores de Madrid.

The work was staged in the Teatro de la Zarzuela Madrid in the 2009–10 and 2014–15 seasons, which transferred to Lisbon.

Her beauty strikes Sandoval, while his baggage is looted by the bandits who are ordered to return all to him except for a blank safe-conduct pass signed by Campomayor.

She warns the bandits that the Portuguese army is on their trail but they can move off using the stolen safe-conduct, with the case of jewels, disguised as the monks of San Huberto.

Posing as the Duchess of Albaflor and her servant, Catalina and Rebolledo enter elegantly dressed, provoking admiration of the guests.

Sandoval recognizes the arrivals and tries to talk to her aside, declaring his love but Catalina openly rejects him because she knows about his impending marriage to Diana, which he denies.

Sandoval implores their protection, reveals to her his love for Catalina, she takes the opportunity to ask him to surrender his hand in exchange for help to escape from the villa.

Sandoval receives Sebastián, admitted into the royal guard, and is surprised at the sudden appearance of the monarch and the preparations for the ceremony.