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Sadness and Success

Donald Macleod focuses on Donizetti's life in the late 1830s, by which time he had tired completely of Naples.

Gaetano Donizetti composed almost 70 operas in 19th-century Italy, the age of the impresario, the prima donna and the star tenor. Donald Macleod traces his extraordinary life.

By the late 1830s Donizetti had tired completely of Naples, exasperated by the censors' meddling and impresarios' incompetence. He was also devastated by grief, having lost his wife and newborn child. Deciding to settle in Paris, he delighted audiences at the Theatre-Italien with his operas La Fille du Regiment and La Favorite.

1 hour

Music Played

  • Gaetano Donizetti

    Poliuto - Act III: Donna! Malvagio!... Ah! fugge da morte!... Fia vero! di

    Singer: Juan Pons. Choir: Vienna Singakademie. Singer: László Polgár. Conductor: Oleg Caetani. Singer: José Carreras. Singer: Harry Peeters. Singer: Paolo Gavanelli. Singer: Katia Ricciarelli.
    • CBS : 4482-1.
    • CBS.
    • 16.
  • Gaetano Donizetti

    Maria Padilla - Act II, Ines! Mis dolce suoara! ...A fliglia incauta.. A si! suo

    Orchestra: London S O.. Singer: Lois Mcdonall. Conductor: Alun Francis. Singer: Della Jones.
    • Opera Rara ORC6-3.
    • Opera Rara.
    • 7.
  • Gaetano Donizetti

    La Fille du regiment - Act I: Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fete...Le camarade est

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Singer: Luciano Pavarotti. Conductor: Richard Bonynge. Singer: Eric Garrett. Choir: The Rome Opera Chorus.
    • DECCA : 414-520-2.
    • DECCA.
    • 12.
  • Gaetano Donizetti

    La Favorita - Act IV: Fernand! Fernand! pourrai-je le trouver? ... Mes voeux so

    Singer: Ramón Vargas. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Singer: Vesselina Kasarova. Choir: Bavarian Radio Chorus. Singer: Carlo Colombara.
    • RCA : 66229-2.
    • RCA.
    • 15.

Broadcasts

  • Thu 18 Sep 2014 12:00
  • Thu 18 Sep 2014 18:30

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