(Domenico) Gaetano (Maria) Donizetti - Media

Composer, born in Bergamo, N Italy. He studied music at Bergamo and Bologna, and produced his first opera in 1818 at Venice. The work which carried his fame beyond Italy was Anna Bolena (1830), and he had several other successes, notably Lucia di Lammermoor (1835). Stricken by paralysis, he became mentally ill.

After writing rather minor compositions under the commission of Paolo Zanca, Donizetti wrote his fourth opera, Zoraïda di Granata. Writing in Rome and Milan in addition to Naples, Donizetti achieved some success (his 31 operas written in the space of just 12 years were usually popular successes, but the critics were often unimpressed), but was not well known internationally until 1830, when his Anna Bolena was premiered in Milan. Shortly after L'elisir d'amore, Donizetti composed Lucia di Lammermoor, his most famous tragic opera and one of the high points of the bel canto tradition, reaching stature similar to Bellini's Norma. After the success of Lucrezia Borgia (1833) consolidated his reputation, Donizetti followed the paths of both Rossini and Bellini by visiting Paris, but his opera Marino Falerio suffered by comparison with Bellini's I puritani, and he returned to Naples to produce his already-mentioned masterpiece, Lucia di Lammermoor. However, since the 1950s a growing interest in the bel canto repertoire has lead to more frequent performances of Donizetti's operas, and Lucia di Lammermoor, La fille du régiment, Don Pasquale and L'elisir d'amore have assumed more or less constant places in the standard repertory. October 13, 1960, Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo) Olimpiade (1817, incomplete, libretto by Metastasio) L'ira di Achille (1817) Enrico di Borgogna (1818; November 14, 1818 Teatro San Luca, Venice) Una follia (1818; December 17, 1818 Teatro San Luca, Venice) (lost) I piccioli virtuosi ambulanti (1819), opera buffa in un Atto Pietro il Grande zar di tutte le Russie ossia Il Falegname di Livonia (1819; December 26, 1819, Teatro San Samuele, Venice), Le nozze in villa (1820; Teatro Vecchio, Mantua) Zoraida di Granata or Zoraïda di Granata (1822; January 28, 1822, Teatro Argentina, Rome, rev. May 12, 1822, Teatro Nuovo, Naples) La lettera anonima (June 29, 1822 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) Chiara e Serafina, ossia I pirati (October 26, 1822, Teatro alla Scala, Milan) Alfredo il grande (July 2, 1823 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Il fortunato inganno (September 3, 1823 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) L'ajo nell'imbarazzo (February 4, 1824, Teatro Valle, Rome) Emilia di Liverpool (28.7.1824 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) (L'eremitaggio di Liverpool) Alahor in Granata (7.1.1826 Teatro Carolino, Palermo) Don Gregorio [rev of L'ajo nell'imbarazzo] (11.6.1826 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) Elvida (6.7.1826 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Gabriella di Vergy (1826; 29.11.1869 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) (Gabriella) Olivo e Pasquale (7.1.1827 Teatro Valle, Rome) Olivo e Pasquale [rev] (1.9.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) Otto mesi in due ore (13.5.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) (Gli esiliati in Siberia) Il borgomastro di Saardam (19.8.1827 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) Le convenienze teatrali (21.11.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) L'esule di Roma, ossia Il proscritto (1.1.1828 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Emilia di Liverpool [rev] (8.3.1828 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) Alina, regina di Golconda (12.5.1828 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa) Gianni di Calais (2.8.1828 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) Il paria (12.1.1829 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Il giovedi grasso (26.2.1829? Teatro del Fondo, Naples) (Il nuovo Pourceaugnac) Il castello di Kenilworth (6.7.1829 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Alina, regina di Golconda [rev] (10.10.1829 Teatro Valle, Rome) I pazzi per progetto (6.2.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Il diluvio universale (28.2.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Imelda de' Lambertazzi (5.9.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Anna Bolena (26.12.1830 Teatro Carcano, Milan) Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali [rev of Le convenienze teatrali] (20.4.1831 Teatro Canobbiana, Milan) Gianni di Parigi (1831; 10.9.1839 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Francesca di Foix (30.5.1831 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) La romanziera e l'uomo nero (18.6.1831 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) (libretto lost) Fausta (12.1.1832 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Ugo, conte di Parigi (13.3.1832 Teatro alla Scala Milan) L'elisir d'amore (12.5.1832 Teatro Canobbiana, Milan) Sancia di Castiglia (4.11.1832 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo (2.1.1833 Teatro Valle, Rome) Otto mesi in due ore [rev] (1833, Livorno) Parisina (17.3.1833 Teatro della Pergola, Florence) Torquato Tasso (9.9.1833 Teatro Valle, Rome) Lucrezia Borgia (26.12.1833 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Il diluvio universale [rev] (17.1.1834 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa) Rosmonda d'Inghilterra (27.2.1834 Teatro della Pergola, Florence) Maria Stuarda [rev] (18.10.1834 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) (Buondelmonte) Gemma di Vergy (26.10.1834 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Maria Stuarda (30.12.1835 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Marin Faliero (12.3.1835 Théâtre-Italien, Paris) Lucia di Lammermoor (26.9.1835 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Belisario (4.2.1836 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) Il campanello di notte (1.6.1836 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) Betly, o La capanna svizzera (21.8.1836 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) L'assedio di Calais (19.11.1836 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Pia de' Tolomei (18.2.1837 Teatro Apollo, Venice) Pia de' Tolomei [rev] (31.7.1837, Sinigaglia) Betly [rev] ((?) 29.9.1837 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) Roberto Devereux (28.10.1837 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Maria de Rudenz (30.1.1838 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) Gabriella di Vergy [rev] (1838; 30.11.1848 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Pia de' Tolomei [rev 2] (30.9.1838 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Lucie de Lammermoor [rev of Lucia di Lammermoor] (6.8.1839 Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris) Le duc d'Albe (1839; 22.3.1882 Teatro Apollo, Rome) (Il duca d'Alba) Lucrezia Borgia [rev] (11.1.1840 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Poliuto [rev] (10.4.1840 Opéra, Paris) (Les martyrs) La fille du régiment (11.2.1840 Opéra-Comique, Paris) L'ange de Nisida (1839; ?) Lucrezia Borgia [rev 2] (31.10.1840 Théâtre-Italien, Paris) La favorite [rev of L'ange de Nisida] (2.12.1840 Opéra, Paris) Adelia (11.2.1841 Teatro Apollo, Rome) Rita, ou Le mari battu (1841; 7.5.1860 Opéra-Comique, Paris) (Deux hommes et une femme) Maria Padilla (26.12.1841 Teatro alla Scala Milan) Linda di Chamounix (19.5.1842 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna) Linda di Chamounix [rev] (17.11.1842 Théâtre-Italien, Paris) Caterina Cornaro (18.1.1844 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) Don Pasquale (3.1.1843 Théâtre-Italien, Paris) Maria di Rohan (5.6.1843 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna) Dom Sébastien (13.11.1843 Opéra, Paris) Dom Sébastien [rev] (6.2.1845 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna)

Choral Works

Ave Maria Grande Offertorio Il sospiro Messa da Requiem Messa di Gloria e Credo Miserere (Psalm 50)

Orchestral Works

Allegro for Strings in C major L'ajo nell'imbarazzo: Sinfonia Larghetto, tema e variazioni in E flat major Roberto Devereux: Sinfonia Sinfonia Concertante in D major (1818) Sinfonia for Winds in G minor (1817) Sinfonia in A major Sinfonia in C major Sinfonia in D major Sinfonia in D minor Ugo, conte di Parigi: Sinfonia

Concertos

Concertino for Clarinet in B flat major Concertino for English Horn in G major (1816) Concertino in C minor for flute and chamber orchestra (1819) Concertino for Flute and Orchestra in C major Concertino for Flute and Orchestra in D major Concertino for Oboe in F major Concertino for Violin and Cello in D minor Concerto for 2 Clarinets "Maria Padilla" Concerto for Violin and Cello in D minor

Chamber Works

Andante sostenuto for Oboe and Harp in F minor Introduction for Strings in D major Larghetto and Allegro for Violin and Harp in G minor Largo/Moderato for Cello and Piano in G minor Nocturnes (4) for Winds and Strings Quartet for Strings in D major Quartet for Strings no 10 in G minor Quartet for Strings no 11 in C major Quartet for Strings no 12 in C major Quartet for Strings no 13 in A major Quartet for Strings no 14 in D major Quartet for Strings no 15 in F major Quartet for Strings no 16 in B minor Quartet for Strings no 17 in D major Quartet for Strings no 18 in E minor Quartet for Strings no 18 in E minor: Allegro Quartet for Strings no 3 in C minor: 2nd movement, Adagio ma non troppo Quartet for Strings no 4 in D major Quartet for Strings no 5 in E minor Quartet for Strings no 5 in E minor: Larghetto Quartet for Strings no 6 in G minor Quartet for Strings no 7 in F minor Quartet for Strings no 8 in B flat major Quartet for Strings no 9 in D minor Quintet for Guitar and Strings no 2 in C major Solo de concert Sonata for Flute and Harp Sonata for Flute and Piano in C minor Sonata for Oboe and Piano in F major Study for Clarinet no 1 in B flat major Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Piano in F major

Piano Works

Adagio and Allegro for Piano in G major Allegro for Piano in C major Allegro for Piano in F minor Fugue for Piano in G minor Grand Waltz for Piano in A major Larghetto for Piano in A minor "Una furtiva lagrima" Larghetto for Piano in C major Pastorale for Piano in E major Presto for Piano in F minor Sinfonia for Piano in A major Sinfonia for Piano no 1 in C major Sinfonia for Piano no 1 in D major Sinfonia for Piano no 2 in C major Sinfonia for Piano no 2 in D major Sonata for Piano in C major Sonata for Piano in F major Sonata for Piano in G major Variations for Piano in E major Variations for Piano in G major Waltz for Piano in A major Waltz for Piano in C major Waltz for Piano in C major "The Invitation"

Media

Prelude to Lucia di Lammermoor (file info) — play in browser (beta) Problems playing the files? Jeremy Commons, Le prime rappresentazioni delle opere di Donizetti nella stampa coeva, Milan: Skira, 1997 John Black, Donizetti's Operas in Naples 1822-1848, London: The Donizetti Society, 1982 James P.