“Maria Stuarda” is the second of Donizetti’s unofficial “Tudor Trilogy,” the drama focusing in on the rivalry between Mary Stuart and Anna Bolena’s daughter Elizabeth the first. Based on Schiller’s 1800 play, the libretto is the work of Giuseppe Bardari. The drama pits the two queens against one another, though the truth is that they never actually met in real {…}
“Anna Bolena” premiered on Dec. 26, 1830 and became the first of the Donizetti’s unofficial “Tudor Trilogy.” The opera was a major turning point for Donizetti as well, becoming one of the first operas to launch him to major acclaim in Italy. While the work was largely ignored for much of the early 20th century, the likes of Maria Callas {…}
“Lucrezia Borgia” may not belong to the “Tudor Trilogy” of Donizetti operas, but it is still among the most challenging operas for the lead soprano in the composer’s oeuvre. The work had its world premiere on Dec. 26, 1833 at La Scala and while it did well throughout the 19th century, it struggled to find an audience throughout the 20th {…}
Donizetti is one of the fathers of Bel Canto, having written over 70 operas, his first work coming at the age of 19. Born on Nov. 29, 1797, the composer has become well-known for such operas as “L’Elisir d’Amore,” “Don Pasquale,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Lucrezia Borgia,” as well as the Tudor trilogy, which has been revived by many of the great {…}
Each of Donizetti’s Tudor Trilogy operas brings its own flavor. “Anna Bolena” is lengthy but filled with tremendous external conflict while “Maria Stuarda” ramps up to a massive encounter between two Queens before becoming an intimate and internalized drama. “Roberto Devereux” brings all those elements together to create arguably the greatest of Donizetti’s dramatic operas. Premiering on Oct. 29, 1837, {…}
“Lucia di Lammermoor” is one of opera’s undisputed staples. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden will be bringing back the work on Oct. 30, 2017, for an eight-performance run starring the great American soprano Lisette Oropesa in Katie Mitchell’s sexy and bloody production. When one thinks of “Lucia” at the Royal Opera House, it is impossible to disassociate the opera {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Luc Besson’s “The {…}
Conductor Riccardo Frizza has been named the first and new music director of the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo. The festival is the only one dedicated to the research and dissemination of the Bergamo born composer´s wide repertoire, a cornerstone of the Romantic bel-canto style. The new appointment was announced by Bergamo´s councillor for culture, Nadia Ghisalberti, and by the director of the {…}
Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” is one of the most famous operas in the bel canto repertoire, a style which emphasized the technique and beauty with which an actor sang. Drawing on a wild, Scottish setting and a story full of romance and insanity, “Lucia di Lammermoor” captivated the hearts of Romantic-era audiences. The opera had its world premiere on {…}
Last year the Bayerische Staatsoper opened a new production of Donizetti’s beloved French work “La Favorite.” It was specifically created for Elīna Garanča, who was making her staged role debut after having impressed in the work in a concert performance at the Salzburg Festival alongside Juan Diego Flórez. This time around the company brought along two of her frequent collaborators, Mariusz Kwiecien {…}
Walter Scott, born on August 15, 1771, is among the most important English-language writers, his works essential parts of the literary canon. In fact, he created some true masterpieces that would go on to inspire some of the greatest opera composers as well. Here is a look at the important operas based on the works of Scott. Ivanhoe Scott’s most {…}
