High Notes and Low Ebbs
Donald Macleod follows the irresistible rise of Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti. Today, Donizetti battles “pirates”, writes about love potions, and falls in love himself.
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, Donizetti’s star continues to rise, as he takes on tales of the Tudors and battles the so-called “pirates” of the opera industry. We find him brewing up bogus love-potions, and falling in love himself, without recourse to any artificial aids.
Amor marinaro
Ekaterina Siurina, soprano
Iain Burnside, piano
L’elisir d’amore, Act I: “Che vuol dire codesta suonata?”
Ambrosian Opera Chorus
English Chamber Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
String Quartet No 17 – 2nd and 3rd movements
The Revolutionary Drawing Room
L’Esule di Roma, Act II: Scene 5 “Non v’e… Al mio delitto!
Nicolo Alaimo, bass-baritone (Murena)
Opera Rara Chorus
Britten Sinfonia
Carlo Rizzi, conductor
Anna Bolena: Sinfonia (Overture)
Welsh National Opera Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
L’Elisir d’amore, Act II: “Una furtiva lagrima… Prendi, per mei sei libero”
Angela Gheorgiu, soprano (Adina)
Roberto Alagna, tenor (Nemorino)
Orchestre de l’Opera de Lyon
Evelino Pidò, conductor
Lucrezia Borgia, Act II: Finale “Era dessa il figlio mio”
Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Lucrezia)
London Opera Chorus
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
On radio
Broadcast
- Tue 17 Mar 202616:00BBC Radio 3
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