Basement Beginnings
Donald Macleod charts Donizetti's early life, including his composing as a teenager an early version of Pygmalion.
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.
Donizetti was raised in a cramped basement flat, the son of a poor family in rural Italy, but his talent was spotted early. He would later become the most successful Italian composer of his generation. As a teenager Donizetti wrote a precocious early version of Pygmalion, and dedicated a piano piece to a generous benefactor who bought him out of his military service. His breakthrough came with an opera set in Moorish Spain, Zoraida di Granata.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Enrico di Borgogna - 'Elisa! Elisa! O! me infelice
Singer: Della Jones. Conductor: David Parry. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra.- Opera Rara: ORR 203.
- Opera Rara.
- 1.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Sinfonia a Quattro Mani
Performer: Giorgio Cozzolino. Performer: Pietro Spada.- RCA: RL31441.
- 1.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Il Pigmalione - Aria; Da smania e furor
Conductor: Fabio Maestri. Ensemble: La Camera Delle Lacrime. Singer: Paolo Pellegrini.- Bongiovanni: GS2109/10-2.
- Bongiovanni.
- 8.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Miserere in D minor - Libera me / Tunc acceptablis
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Jozsef Maklari. Choir: Slovak Philharmonic Chorus.- HUNGAROTON : HCD12147-2.
- HUNGAROTON.
- 1.
Broadcasts
- Mon 15 Sep 201412:00BBC Radio 3
- Mon 15 Sep 201418:30BBC Radio 3
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