Episode 3

Donald Macleod explores Donizetti's life and work, focusing on how he took Paris by storm.

At Rossini's invitation, Donizetti previously had an opera staged at the Theatre-Italien, but his ambition was to storm that bastion of French culture, the Paris Opera, before retiring. In the event, Donizetti exceeded his goal, with productions running at all four major Parisian opera houses. It led a despairing Berlioz to complain of an 'invasion' of the city by the Italian composer.

Don Pasquale - 1842 (excerpt)
- Ah! un foco insolito
Don Pasquale ...... Renato Bruson
Munich Radio Orchestra
Roberto Abbado (conductor)
RCA 09026 61924 2,
CD 1 track 6

La fille du regiment - 1839 (excerpts from Act 1)
- Rataplan, rataplan, rataplan
- Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fete!
- Le camarade est amoureux!
Hortensius ...... Jules Bruyere
Tonio ...... Luciano Pavarotti
The corporal ...... Eric Garrett
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Richard Bonynge (conductor)
Decca 414 520-2,
CD 1 tracks 11-13

La fille du regiment (excerpt from Act 2)
- Le jour naissait dans le bocage
Marie ...... Joan Sutherland
Sulpice ...... Spiro Malas
The Marquise ...... Monica Sinclair
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Richard Bonynge (conductor)
Decca 414 520-2,
CD 2 track 3

La favorite - 1840 (Act 4)
- Ange si pur
- Finale
Leonor ...... Vesselina Kasarova
Fernand ...... Ramon Vargas
Balthazar ...... Carlo Colombara
Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Munich Radio Orchestra
Marcello Viotti (conductor)
RCA 74321 66229 2,
CD 2 tracks 14-15

Don Pasquale - 1840 (excerpt from Act 4 - closing number)
- La morale in tuto questo
Norina ...... Eva Mei
Ernesto ...... Frank Lopardo
Malatesta ...... Thomas Allen
Don Pasquale ...... Renato Bruson
Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Munich Radio Orchestra
Roberto Abbado (conductor)
RCA 09026 61924 2,
CD 2 track 16.