Donizetti’s Les martyrs was his first work written especially for Paris and premiered at the Opéra in 1840. It is a reworking of his ill-fated Il Poliuto which he wrote for Teatro San Carlo (Naples) in 1838, which was censored due to its subject matter (the martyrdom ofSaint Polyeuctus) and therefore never performed. Gallay’s Fantaisie, published in 1841, opens with a muted quote from the Act III Chœur et Finale ‘Hymne à Jupiter’ which is answered by a contemplative recitativo style section. Sévère’s Act II aria ‘Amour de mon jeune ange’ provides the lilting Larghetto theme which is followed by an Allegro moderato taken from another aria for the same character, this time from Act II, ‘Je te perds, toi que j’adore’. Polyeucte’s Act II aria ‘Dieu puissant qui voit mon zèle’ is heard in the Adagio prior to the return of ‘Je te perds…’. Throughout the work a short dotted rhythmic figure appears which may hark back to the cry of “Ju-pi-ter” from the final chorus of Act II..