"The history of music is not simply the history of masterpieces… Posterity is not always fair and can be fickle, and our keenest hope is that the curiosity of the reader will be attracted to a number of works that merit more than a passing reference in music history." – Vincent Giroud
Melodramma giocoso in 2 acts Composer: Gaetano Donizetti Librettist: Felice Romani, after Eugène Scribe’s libretto for Le philtre, opera by Auber (1831) First performed: Teatro della Canobbiana, Milan, 12 May 1832 English language libretto Elisir was a rush job; the theatre commissioned the work after another composer defaulted. Librettist Felice Romani adapted the book of Auber's Philtre, a hit … Continue reading 54. L’elisir d’amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
I PAZZI PER PROGETTO Farsa posta in musica By Gaetano Donizetti Libretto: Domenico Gilardoni First performance: Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, 6 February 1830. Performed to only a half full theatre, because of a ball, but Donizetti thought the performance "went off very brilliantly" (Charles Osborne, Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizettti and Bellini). Performed … Continue reading 10. I pazzi per progetto (Gaetano Donizetti)
MARINO FALIERO Tragedia lirica in 3 acts By Gaetano Donizetti Libretto : Giovanni Emanuele Bidera, after Casimir Delavigne’s Marino Faliero Donizetti's 45th opera. First performed : Théâtre Italien, Paris, 12 March 1835, a couple of months after Bellini's Puritani premiered at the same theatre. Rossini had commissioned both composers to write operas for Paris. Both were hits, … Continue reading 8. Marino Faliero (Gaetano Donizetti)
