Gaetano Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux,” though not performed with any regularity, showcases the composer’s masterful ability to capture the characters’ raw emotions through stunning music. Salvadore Cammarano crafted the Italian libretto, drawing inspiration from François Ancelot’s tragedy “Elisabeth d’Angleterre” (1829) and Jacques Lescène des Maisons’ “Historie secrete des amours d’Elisabeth et du comte d’Essex” (1787). Devereux also served as the focus {…}