On May 7, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna will open a new production of “Lucrezia Borgia,” one of Donizetti’s most popular works and one that has become a vehicle for a star soprano to show her vocal fireworks. However, it is also one of the composer’s most dramatic works and one that contains some of Donizetti’s most mature music. In the title role, Olga Peretyatko will add another Donizetti heroine to her repertoire.

The soprano, who began her career with Rossini and Mozart, has sung many Donizetti operas to great acclaim including “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “L’Elisir d’Amore,” “Anna Bolena,” and most recently “Don Pasquale.” Of her Norina, critics raved noting she “stole the show” while her Lucia di Lammermoor was said to be “dramatically compelling.”

For Peretyatko, her role debut at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna also marks her return to the Bologna stage after an 11-year absence. The soprano last performed at the theater in 2009 and 2011.

For those not in Bologna for the opera, the soprano will return to Berlin for “The Pearl Fishers,” an opera that has become of her signatures, and for Liu, another role debut. She also sings in “Don Giovanni” at the Verbier Festival.

Recordings 

Peretyatko has many notable recordings including her “Rossini!” and “Arabesque” albums for Sony Classical as well as DVDs of “Matilde di Shabran,” “Sigismondo,” and “La Scala di Seta.”

Here is a clip of her performing “Anna Bolena” and “Lucia di Lammermoor.”