realizes that he is about to send his son to the executioner and, trembling, he signs the death warrant. Scenes 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11: The atrium of the jail Jailer Albino feels very sorry for the 20-year-old Crispo. Fausta enters and asks him to bring her stepson; she realizes that this is her last chance. Crispo cannot believe his eyes and ears as she professes love for him in a desperate delirium. Fausta tells him that they can run away, but he shows her the poison inside his ring. She snatches the ring and utters "Love will save you." Massimiano and four armed guards arrive. Fausta is ordered to leave, but she resists and begs the father not to execute Crispo. One of the guards returns from Crispo's cell and confirms that the execution has been carried out. Fausta ingests the poison from the ring and collapses, Massimiano rushes to the cell and hears voices calling for his own death. Constantine has heard the truth from Massimiano's hitmen and arrives with Beroe, Licinia, the Empress's maids and his pretorians. In his hand is the signed pardon for his son, but Massimiano proudly and cynically confirms that his son is dead. Meanwhile Fausta has regained some of her strength and tells Constantine about her lies. When the infuriated Emperor remonstrates that she will pay the ultimate price, she confesses that she has taken a deadly poison. Everyone is horrified and in unison respond, "Evil woman; there is no bigger monster than you on earth." Recordings References Notes Cited sources Allitt, John Stewart, Gaetano Donizetti – Pensiero, Musica, Opere, Edizioni Villadiseriane, 2003, Villa di Serio. Bini, Annalisa; Commons, Jeremy (1997), Le prime rappresentazioni delle opere di Donizetti nella stampa coeva, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Milan: Skira. Ciarlantini, Paola (2014), "La fonte letteraria della Fausta di Donizetti e la poesia tragica improvvisativa in Italia fino agli anni Trenta dell'Ottocento", Conservatorio "U.Giordano" Foggia, paper presented at the XX Symposium Società Italiana di Musicologia, 19 October 2013 (Published in Musica, Storia, analisi e didattica, Quaderni del Conservatorio di Foggia, No. 2. 2014, pp. 43–60) Osborne, Charles, (1994), The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. Other sources Allitt, John Stewart (1991), Donizetti: in the light of Romanticism and the teaching of Johann Simon Mayr, Shaftesbury: Element Books, Ltd (UK); Rockport, MA: Element, Inc.(USA) Ashbrook, William (1982), Donizetti