A French Resolution

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 makes a long-awaited move to Paris, fed up with the infuriating censorship of his operas in Italy. Looking for a fresh start, and a new audience, he ends up writing a tune that would take on an anthem-like status for the French.

La fille du regiment: Salut à la France
Natalie Dessay, soprano
Choeur ‘Les Elements’
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson, conductor

Les Martyrs: Danses (Pas de deux)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Mark Elder, conductor

Les Martyrs, Act II: Scenes 2-4: “Mon seul tresor….oui j’irai”
Michael Spyres, tenor (Polyeucte)
Joyce El Khoury, soprano (Pauline)
Brindley Sherratt, bass (Felix)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Mark Elder, conductor

La fille du regiment, Act I: Finale “Ah mes amis…je suis soldat”
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Tonio)
Eric Garrett, baritone (Caporal)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Richard Bonynge, conductor

Donizetti, arr Liszt: Spirto gentil from La favorite, S400a
William Wolfram, piano

Maria Padilla, Act III: Finale “Il silenzio… O padre”
Lois McDonall, soprano (Maria Padilla)
Della Jones, mezzo-soprano (Ines Padilla)
Christian du Plessis, baritone (Don Pedro)
Roderick Earle, bass-baritone (Ramiro)
Ian Caley, tenor (Don Luigi)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Symphony Orchestra
Alun Francis, conductor

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.